


Legend of Zelda: Rebuilding the Lost Kingdom

by cynical_mystic



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 10:37:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 71
Words: 55,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18589549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynical_mystic/pseuds/cynical_mystic
Summary: This is the story of Zelda's attempts to reunite Hyrule after the events of Breath of the Wild. Link is dealing with the gaps in his memory and Zelda is dealing with her inability to communicate with Goddess Hylia.*Complete*All Legend of Zelda characters are the property of Nintendo. There are two OCs, Kanna and the Head Stablemaster.





	1. A King's Counsel

After fixing Divine Beast Vah Ruta’s malfunction--it had become clogged with seaweed and various debris--Zelda and Link sought an audience with King Dorephan, the king of the Zora. Prince Sidon was present at the audience as well, in addition to several Zora elders.

“Princess,” King Dorephan rumbled. “It is a pleasure to see you again after all this time. I’m pleased to see you haven’t aged a day. It is as though no time has passed.”

Link glanced at Zelda, who looked uncomfortable. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet on their journey to Zora’s Domain. He was interested in what she was thinking.

He glanced over Prince Sidon and the Zora elders, who all looked as though they were feeling every second of the past 100 years. He knew how much they missed their princess. Princess Mipha had been his friend as well, and he missed her too. As much as he could with his limited memories of her.

“While I appreciate your remarks, I must admit that I felt every one of the hundred years since the Great Calamity, just as all of you did. I was able to watch Hyrule from the sacred realm where I kept Ganon contained and I saw your sorrow. Part of my reason for coming here is to extend my own sorrow for the loss of Princess Mipha and assure you she was absolutely essential in the defeat of Ganon,” Zelda said, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes downcast.

Link looked up at King Dorephan’s face in time to catch a glimpse of deep pain. The kind of pain that only a parent who has outlived their child can know.

“Princess Zelda, it would be a great comfort to me to know how my daughter was helpful to Link and yourself during the battle with Ganon,” he said quietly.

All the Zora in the room turned their eyes to Zelda as they waited for her response.

Itching to speak, Link clenched his fists and kept quiet. He was no longer on his own. He was back to being Zelda’s shadow. Link didn’t resent the position at all, but the silence took some getting used to after his travels. His court manners were rather rusty.

“During the battle itself, all the Divine Beasts were instrumental in doing a considerable amount of damage to Ganon,” Zelda said. “Mipha’s use of Vah Ruta was swift and concise, helping Link to batter Ganon down to his true form. From what I observed from the sacred realm, after Link freed Vah Ruta from Ganon’s grasp, Mipha offered him something that helped him greatly not only during the battle itself but also his travels. I would like to allow Link the chance to tell you of Mipha’s assistance to him.”

Surprised, Link stepped forward at the Zora king’s nod. He was met with the memory of his arrival in the domain after he’d awoken from the Shrine of Resurrection. The king had given him a set of Zora armor and Link had later learned Mipha had made it for him as a proposal gift. Before he’d gotten the majority of his memories back, he’d been uncomfortable with the thought of someone he barely knew loving him like that. It was still a bit strange.

“Once I freed Mipha’s spirit from Ganon’s grasp, she gifted me her ability to heal,” Link said. “The ability came in handy during many altercations. While I could have completed my mission without Mipha’s Grace, it would have been considerably more difficult and I would not want to attempt it.”

King Dorephan inclined his head to Link, who bowed in return before stepping back to his place at Zelda’s right side.

“Thank you,” King Dorephan rumbled. “Both of you. Link, I would invite you to read Mipha’s diary. She wrote something I think she would want you to hear.”

After glancing at Zelda, who nodded, Link stepped over to the small table that had been added to the king’s hall since his last visit. He opened the diary of the fallen Zora princess and began to read.

 

While Link read, Zelda continued her audience with the king.

“King Dorephan,” Zelda said, “I would greatly appreciate your advice. I seek to establish Hyrule as a kingdom once again and see it grow to be even better than it was 10,000 years ago.”

The Zora elders and Prince Sidon exchanged glances with each other and the king. Zelda held her head high. She knew this was essential to the lost kingdom’s future and refused to fail her people again. She also knew she needed advice. Her education had included little on governing, especially because her father had been the leader during a time of preparation for Ganon’s return. No one had prepared her for how to lead after the Calamity. No one thought Ganon would respond the way he did.

No one planned for the king dying.

“While a return to the prosperity Hyrule enjoyed 10,000 years ago is unlikely to happen in either your lifetime or mine, Princess, I see your heart is in the right place. I will give you my advice.

“To reunite the kingdom of Hyrule and lead it effectively, you must accomplish three things. First, you must travel to the remaining civilizations and win their loyalty. This includes not only the Hylian settlements that have survived, but also the four city-states, including Zora’s Domain. I will not pledge my domain to your rule until you have gained the allegiance of the rest of Hyrule.

“In addition to proving yourself to the people of Hyrule, you must also choose a suitable partner to help you rule. As you are the heir to the throne, they must be of a personality that will support your rule, not overpower you. You would also do well to choose someone in Hyrule’s good graces.

“The final thing you must do is gain the blessing of the Goddess Hylia, which will require you to pray at every Goddess Statue in the realm. As is tradition, the only one who can crown a ruler of Hyrule is the Goddess Hylia.”

When King Dorephan had described the magnitude of traveling all over the land to speak with almost every single person, Zelda felt up to the challenge. When he’d brought up finding a suitable husband, Zelda had someone in mind.

When King Dorephan reminded her she needed the blessing of Goddess Hylia, Zelda was speechless.

She’d never had a relationship with the Goddess. Zelda had a vague memory of praying at the Goddess Statue on the castle grounds with her mother as a child, and the ghost of a voice whispering her name, but once her mother had died she’d never heard the voice again. Even though she had spent every moment of every day after her mother died in prayer to awaken the sealing power that would conquer Ganon and save Hyrule, the whisper from her childhood had never returned. Maybe some part of her had lost hope in the Goddess, as her mother had died without being able to teach her.

Now, however, Zelda had no choice. In order to be worthy of leading the people she loved, she had to face her greatest fear.

“You are a wise and seasoned leader,” Zelda said finally. “I had little chance to learn the art of being such a leader from my father. Is there any advice you could give me on how to prove myself to the people of Hyrule?”

Before King Dorephan could respond, Prince Sidon stepped forward.

“If I may?” he asked, inclining his head to his father.

“Of course, Prince Sidon,” King Dorephan said.

Prince Sidon towered over Princess Zelda, and she was struck with the memory of him as a child, when she’d come to ask Mipha to be a champion. He’d been so small then.

“I have three pieces of advice for you, Princess,” Prince Sidon said, pacing back and forth in front of his father with his hand on his chin. “Be yourself. Your love for your people burns so brightly within you they won’t be able to deny it. Listen to the people. Nothing shows your regard for someone more than truly listening to what they have to say. And finally, prepare yourself. This is not the Hyrule of your childhood. Few will take kindly to an imposition of rule.”

Zelda bowed to Prince Sidon, who returned to his place at his father’s side.

“My son speaks wisely,” King Dorephan said.

Zelda bowed to the Zora king.

“Thank you both for your wise words. I will be sure to take your advice into consideration when planning my next moves.”

Prince Sidon and King Dorephan roared with laughter as Link turned away from Mipha’s diary and returned to Zelda’s side.

“Spoken like a true diplomat,” Prince Sidon praised.

“You may stay in the Zora inn for as long as you need to prepare for your journey,” King Dorephan announced. “Our city is open to you at no cost as thanks for your service to Hyrule, Princess, and Link’s service to our domain. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

 

Once they were out of sight of the Zora royal court, Zelda pulled Link into one of the city’s aqueducts for privacy. He frowned at the squelching of water in his shoes and remembered why he didn’t often visit during his travels.

Looking up, Zelda’s green eyes were filled with concern.

“What did Mipha’s diary say?” Zelda asked.

Link winced and returned his gaze to his waterlogged shoes. He’d known the Zora princess had been planning to propose, but he didn’t know she’d been hoping to do it before the Calamity. He supposed it made sense; world altering events had a tendency of shoving people into relationships as they realize their mortality. According to her diary, she’d been planning on presenting him with the armor on his last visit to the domain before the Calamity, several weeks after he’d defeated the lynel that had been terrifying the domain.

 

_“I was wondering,” Mipha said quietly. The two were perched on the end of Vah Ruta’s trunk, just as they’d been when she’d healed his wounds from the lynel. “I was wondering how you were liking your new position.”_

_Link tilted his head at her and she smiled slightly, shaking her head._

_“I mean your new position as the princess’ appointed knight. How are you two getting along? She seems a lot kinder to you now than she was in the beginning.”_

_“We talked,” Link said, gazing off into the distance. The princess’s unintentional vulnerability had gotten him to open up in ways he never had before._

_Mipha studied him closely, and something in her face fell._

_He looked at her quizzically again, but she looked away._

_“I’m glad the two of you talked,” she said, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “It would be terrible to have to always be with someone you barely knew, or didn’t like at all.”_

_They watched the sunset before returning to Zora’s Domain._

__

“She never said anything,” Link said, dazed, still stuck in the past.

“What do you mean?” Zelda’s voice jerked him out of his reverie.

Shaking his head, Link looked at her again.

“She was planning to propose during my last visit,” he said quietly. “But she didn’t. I don’t know what stopped her.”

Zelda considered him for a moment.

“I didn’t know she had feelings for you.”

“I didn’t either,” Link admitted. “Not until I came to Zora’s Domain to free Vah Ruta.”

After several moments of thoughtful silence, Zelda said, not looking at him, “If you don’t mind… I’m kind of curious. Do you know what you would have said?”

Considering this, Link looked towards Mipha’s statue in the main portion of the city. It could barely be seen from their vantage point.

“I don’t know,” Link said. “The thought of someone I only half remember loving me enough to want to marry me is strange. I don’t remember much from before I became a knight.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Zelda said. “I couldn’t do much for those memories because the Sheikah slate can’t take me back in time. Hopefully you’ll remember in time.”

Link nodded.

“Now,” Zelda said, stepping out of the rushing water, “we should probably go to the inn.”

Relieved at her dropping the subject, and a little worried at her tone, Link nodded and led the way through the city.


	2. The Goddess Statue - Zora's Domain

That night, when Zelda was sure Link was asleep, she crept out of the inn and through the city, back to the Goddess Statue underneath the stairs leading up to the king’s hall.

The small statue made Zelda uneasy. While she was in the sacred realm she’d watched Link speak to the Goddess through them and had no idea why Goddess Hylia wouldn’t grant her the same privilege. Even when in the sacred realm, the supposed stomping grounds of the Goddess, she’d never heard her. The only mystical voice she’d ever heard had been that of the master sword, and after Link’s battle with Ganon even that voice had faded away.

She approached the Goddess Statue with nothing but dread in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to fail again, but she couldn’t get rid of the voice inside her telling her this was a waste of time. The same voice that had plagued her journey to Mount Lanayru all those years ago.

Zelda pulled a silent princess out of her pouch. It had been a gift from Link.

Placing the flower in the small indentation for offerings at the base of the statue, the princess knelt in front of it and and adopted the same posture the statue itself was in: back straight, hands clasped in front of her, and head bowed slightly.

“Goddess Hylia,” Zelda murmured, “I come to you in another hour of need. Please bestow upon me your blessing to lead Hyrule. I will not fail your people again.”

After a few heartbeats with no response, Zelda brought a more personal prayer to the Goddess, one that would have pleased the Goddess lore professor who’d tried to help her speak with the Goddess.

“Goddess,” she whispered, “please. Help me to discover Link’s heart. I know mine. I’ve known mine for a hundred years. Please help me to know his. He would be the perfect prince for Hyrule; I know that in my soul. Please.”


	3. Traveling Preparations

The next morning, Link woke up before Zelda did, which honestly surprised him. He was typically a pretty late riser.

After he’d tidied his things and had his breakfast, he walked over to her bed with the intention of gently waking her up. As he approached, she rolled over and opened her eyes.

“What time is it?” she asked, stretching her arms.

Link glanced over at the sun.

“It’s about 9, Princess,” he said.

She shot up.

“It’s that late?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”

“I just woke up too, Princess.”

Zelda shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair.

“We have so many preparations to make,” she said, climbing out of bed. Link noticed she hadn’t changed since the day before and wondered if she’d gone somewhere in the night without him.

“What can I do, Princess?” he asked quietly, trying not to mull over the implications of night wanderings as Zelda went about tidying her things.

She paused and considered this question.

“You can make sure we have enough food to get to Kakariko,” Zelda said. “That will be the first stop on our journey and we can replenish our supplies there.”

“What will you do, Princess?”

“I will go to the shrine below the city and see about planning out our route,” she said, gesturing to the Sheikah slate that was laying on top of her things. “You can meet me there at lunch time.”

“Yes, Princess,” Link said before slipping out of the inn.

 

As he walked across to the general store, he didn’t know what was wrong with himself. Once Zelda had returned he’d lost his voice with her. When he’d first woken up from the Shrine of Resurrection he’d forgotten his burdens and been as sociable as he assumed he’d been as a child, before the world was put upon his shoulders. Now, he just didn’t know what to say. It was as though the world was on his shoulders all over again.

As he picked out enough food to keep them fed until they arrived in Kakariko, Link thought about how he hadn’t felt as though the world was on his shoulders while he’d been traveling the kingdom preparing to defeat Ganon. It had just felt…right. Like it was only natural. Looking back on it, Link realized it was the only thing he could have done and he felt somewhat trapped. He enjoyed Zelda and wanted nothing but for her to be safe, but he couldn’t help but wonder what he was missing.

On his way back to the inn to pack the food he’d bought, he saw the children of the domain running around Mipha’s statue. He enjoyed all of the children he’d come across, and it occurred to him that maybe what he felt as though he was missing was a family. His mother had died when he was young and his father had died a few years after. The royal guard was never a family. The closest thing to a family the young hero could remember was the Champions. Daruk had always called him brother, and Revali had been like that annoying cousin who thinks he’s better than everyone else. Mipha had been one of his closest friends, and Urbosa was like the cool aunt who had the best advice.

And Zelda…

Link shook his head and hurried to pack the food. He missed the other Champions, yes, but he needed to focus on the present. He had more than enough time to find another family.

 

Link found Zelda where she’d said she’d be, at the base of the shrine at the bottom of the city. He sat next to her as she examined the Sheikah slate and offered her a plate of roasted fish and greens for lunch. She took it absentmindedly and sat it next to her, still absorbed by the slate.

He busied himself with gathering a bunch of fleet lotus seeds from the water around them and garnishing his own plate with them. Link contented himself with eating while he waited for Zelda to reveal her plan.

“As I said this morning, first we’ll go to Kakariko,” Zelda said eventually, finally taking a bite of her lunch. Link had long since finished his and was polishing the master sword.

“On the way,” Zelda continued, “we can ask at the stables for the Head Stablemaster’s schedule. If we run into him we can speak to him first I suppose, but I hope we get to visit at least Kakariko and Hateno before we meet him. It’d be nice to have the towns’ support on our side first.”

Zelda took a few more bites of the fish before continuing.

“Kakariko is the logical first step because Impa is the leader and the Sheikah tribe has always been loyal to the royal family.

“After Kakariko, we’ll make our way to Hateno. We can visit Purah while we’re there. I’m sure that town won’t be a problem either. The real test will be Lurelin, as the people of that charming seaside town have been far removed from the governing body of Hyrule since even before the Calamity. Our last Hylian civilization will be Tarrey Town, then. Is that the town you helped construct before you defeated Ganon?”

As Link sheathed the master sword, he was flooded with memories. The trek to find where Hudson had been reassigned. The wood collecting and searching the four city-states for those who had “son” in their name and specific skills to inhabit the town. The wedding between Hudson and Rhondson. All the friends he’d made, including the little girl who only wanted to eat monster cake. The girl’s jerk of a father who was convinced Link couldn’t defeat walking guardians.

“Link?”

Link was jerked out of his memories by Zelda’s soft voice.

“Tell me about Tarrey Town,” she said.

Unable to help himself, Link smiled.

“You were right. I helped build it.”

Zelda’s face lit up.

“That’s wonderful! Your knowledge of the townspeople will greatly improve our chances of recruiting them for the new kingdom!”

Link gave her a stern look.

“And of course I’m looking forward to meeting all the friends you made,” Zelda added hastily.

Link chuckled while Zelda put the Sheikah slate back on her belt.

“Once we get to Tarrey Town, we can rest for a few days and plan our trip through the city-states.”

Giving Link her best, most confident smile, Zelda said, “We’ll reunite Hyrule in no time! We’ll leave tomorrow. I can’t wait to get started.”


	4. Link and the Goddess Statue - Zora's Domain

That night, Link waited for Zelda’s heavy, even breathing before slipping out of the inn and heading up to the Goddess Statue.

He offered a hearty durian and knelt to pray.

“Goddess Hylia,” he murmured into his clasped hands. “I almost wish Mipha were here so I could ask her all of my questions myself. Why didn’t she propose to me? What would I have said?”

After a moment, he continued, “Why is this bothering me so much?”

After giving up on words and spending several moments just casting his feelings into the air around him, he noticed the Goddess Statue begin to glow.

“Link…” it murmured. “Mipha didn’t propose… because she realized… your destiny… You would… have accepted… because you have a good heart… and this is bothering you… because you want to be wholly committed… to one person… not partially committed… to two…”

For a moment, Link was frozen, speechless. Then the Goddess Statue’s words began to sink in and he fell from his knees into a cross-legged position.

He meditated on his memory of his last visit with Mipha as well as the Goddess Statue’s words, and after a while decided the Goddess was right. He would have told Mipha he would marry her, and he was glad she hadn’t put him in that position.

But who was the person with whom Link was destined to be?

Shaking his head, he nodded to the Goddess Statue before getting to his feet and making his way back to the inn.

After glancing at Zelda’s bed to make sure she was alright, Link fell into his own and fell instantly asleep. He didn’t need to worry about love right now; his tired mind had reasoned. He had time.


	5. Setting Off

The next morning, Link awoke to find Zelda had gotten up before him.

“Now that’s more like it,” he muttered to himself as he ruffled his hand through his hair and straightened his tunic.

After a breakfast of palm fruit left over from his last trip to Lurelin, Link packed up his things and made his way out of the inn after ensuring Zelda had her things with her wherever she’d gone.

He didn’t have to go far. He found Zelda beneath the statue of Mipha and teaching the children of the town how to use the Sheikah slate to take pictures.

“Link!” she exclaimed when she saw him.

The Zora children turned and ran to him, crowding and circling around him, singing and carrying on. Smiling, he gave each one a rub on the head before shooing them back to their games around Mipha’s statue.

“I see you’re enjoying the city,” he commented.

Zelda nodded enthusiastically.

“It is quite enjoyable to take a short break. The children are charming, and Zora’s Domain is one of the most beautiful places in Hyrule.”

“I agree,” he said, looking around him at the sprawling, and quite confusing, city. “But I don’t like spending too much time here. I get lost in this city and it makes me nervous.”

Zelda laughed and clipped the Sheikah slate back to her belt, but before she could respond, a slap on the back all but sent Link flying forward.

“Well I’m sorry our great city makes you uneasy,” Prince Sidon’s voice boomed. “But it does tickle me that such a simple thing as architecture can rattle the nerves of one who faces down lynels without a second thought!”

Link found himself speechless at the presence of the Zora prince. He hadn’t realized he was there; he needed to get his guard back up before he and Zelda made it to Kakariko.

Zelda was smiling at the Zora prince and Link found himself nervously glancing between the two. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he didn’t like the way she was smiling.

“That’s an excellent point, Prince Sidon,” Zelda said, the laughter in her voice making Link squirm. “It is quite an interesting fact.”

It wasn’t until later that Link understood why he hadn’t liked Zelda’s smile.

 

The two made their way out of the city and had a relatively uneventful trek to the first stable on their journey. After Link had to dispose of only three lizalfos, Zelda commented on the lack of monsters, saying that after Ganon’s defeat it wouldn’t surprise her if they were able to eradicate them from the main thoroughfares completely.

At the first stable on their way to Kakariko, Zelda spoke with the stablemaster and learned that the Head Stablemaster would be passing through the Dueling Peaks Stable at about the same time they would be heading to Lurelin from Hateno, which pleased Zelda as it fit perfectly into her plan. They also retrieved the descendant of Zelda’s horse that Link had managed to find, as well as one of Link’s own horses.

At the second stable, rumors had begun to spread and more people were figuring out who they were and what Zelda was trying to do, which proved to cause mixed feelings in many of the Hylians they encountered along the rest of their journey.

Some people accused Zelda of trying to take their money to furnish the lavish lifestyle she was used to. Some tried to accuse her of being a power, but were easily convinced of her validity after a demonstration of her power. Others sought her advice in trivial matters.

But always, Zelda was the picture of a perfect princess. She offered concern and assurance, causing the Hylians they encountered to trust her almost unconsciously.

At the third stable, Link saw a Hylian Retriever and couldn’t resist giving it a good pet on the head. As he pet the dog and let it lick his face, he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d never done so before. He loved dogs.

Finally, after minimal monster attacks, lots of dog pets, and no sign of the Yiga Clan, Link and Zelda arrived in Kakariko.


	6. Kakariko

As soon as Link and Zelda rode into town, they were met by excited children, who knew the stories, and elders, who’d lived them. They were escorted to Impa’s house by her guards and their horses were lead away by the innkeeper to rest.

Zelda looked up the staircase to Impa’s house.

“I haven’t seen her in a hundred years,” she murmured.

Link put his hand on her shoulder and she gave him a small smile.

Squaring her shoulders, Zelda led them both up the stairs.

 

Instead of sliding open the door and barging in like Link was accustomed to, Zelda knocked on the door. After a moment, Impa’s granddaughter Paya opened the door.

When she saw Link, she almost fainted.

But when she saw Zelda, she did.

Link stepped forward and scooped Paya into his arms. As he carried her up the stairs, nodding to Impa as he went, he couldn’t help but listen in on Zelda’s reunion with Impa.

“Zelda, my darling girl!” Impa crooned. “How I’ve missed you. I couldn’t be more proud of you, my dear.”

“Thank, you, Impa,” Zelda replied, the smile in her voice.

Impa chortled.

“Is this your first stop on your journey?”

Link had arrived at the top of the stairs, so he missed part of their conversation while he laid Paya on her bed. On his way back down, however, he heard his name.

“Link has been a most valuable traveling companion,” Zelda was saying as he made his way down the stairs. “As courageous as ever. Even though the Shrine of Resurrection took his memories, he is still the same Link as before. My recording our shared memories on the Sheikah slate seems to have really helped him remember his old life.”

Link quietly took his place slightly behind Zelda on her right side as she spoke and couldn’t help but wonder if being “the same Link as before” was a good thing. He didn’t feel like the same person from his memories, but once he’d seen Zelda again… It was like he’d put on an old glove that fit perfectly. Reconciling his new life after he awoke and the one he had before was proving to be more confusing than he thought.

Impa glanced at him, and the expression on her face made him think she knew what was going on in his mind.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Impa said. “So, Princess. What is your plan for reuniting Hyrule?”

Zelda told Impa what King Dorephan and Prince Sidon had suggested they do, and her own plans based on their suggestions.

Impa nodded thoughtfully when she was finished.

“Well, you have Kakariko’s full support,” Impa said. “I even plan to send a representative with you on your journey, to provide an even more visible support in case the other civilizations don’t believe we support you.”

“Thank you, Impa,” Zelda replied. “Hopefully, after our journey is done and Hyrule has been reunited, we can find a permanent representative to reside in Castle Town and represent Kakariko’s interests.”

Impa nodded, saying, “Just like it was before the Calamity. I’m glad to see you picked up some things from your father.”

Zelda replied, “I’m looking forward to establishing a new Hyrule and expanding upon the plans my father had.”

Link hoped Zelda would make him head of the royal guard. Under him, it wouldn’t be like it had been when he’d first joined.

Impa narrowed her eyes at Zelda.

“Now, I know King Dorephan mentioned this to you but I would like to bring it up as well. What plans do you have for marriage?”

Zelda turned pale and Link froze. As he’d been reading Mipha’s diary while King Dorephan and Zelda spoke, he hadn’t known the exact details of the conversation.

At the thought of Zelda getting married, Link fought turning red as he considered the loss of their friendship. It was silly of him to expect that it would be just the two of them for the rest of their lives, especially since he’d been having thoughts of marriage and a future family. The thought of life outside of being by her side wrenched his heart, to his surprise, and the thought of watching her court someone, him following at a discreet distance to ensure her safety, her marrying and having kids with someone else…

The thought almost floored him, but he managed to keep his composure.

He would have to be content with potentially leading a reformed royal guard, loyally serving his queen until he either retired or died.

“I have thought of it,” Zelda was saying, her voice surprisingly steady to Link’s ears. “I’ve decided to wait until the reunification of Hyrule is complete. That way, I’ll be able to scour the land for a suitable candidate and Hyrule can begin its new era with a new royal family.”

Link’s heart fell. While he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to fall back into the life he’d had before the Calamity, he only had a few more months to be Zelda’s appointed knight and her closest friend. He wondered if it would be long enough.

Impa nodded approvingly. Zelda glanced at Link and in that moment he would have given all the rupees in the world to be alone with her and hear what she was thinking.

 

Later that night, after the obligatory feast and celebration, Link found himself alone with Zelda in the Kakariko inn. The innkeeper had gone to bed upstairs and the traveling pair had beds next to each other.

After spending some time tossing and turning, Link had just decided to give up on sleeping when he felt someone sit down on his bed. He sat up and saw Zelda. As he scooted back to the headboard to give her more room she sat cross-legged facing him, their knees almost touching.

“I could tell you were having trouble sleeping,” she murmured. “I was just about to go visit the Goddess Statue. Would you like to come?”

Link nodded even though he knew Zelda would be perfectly safe if something were to happen. There was always a guard at the bottom of Impa’s steps, and the Goddess Statue was in eyesight.

But as they made their way to the statue, Link realized he didn’t just want to keep her safe. He wanted to spend time with her, especially as she was his best friend and his mind was so confused and conflicted.

Link knelt behind Zelda as she knelt in front of the Goddess Statue and gave her offering. He couldn’t see what it was but he didn’t try to. This was her time with the Goddess.

Trying not to listen in on what the princess was praying, Link focused on the water around the statue. He watched the reflections of Zelda, the statue, and the torches flicker as the wind caused the water to ripple. He caught various words of Zelda’s prayer, but he couldn’t string them together to make any sort of sense out of them.


	7. The Goddess Statue - Kakariko Village

Knowing Link was kneeling behind her made Zelda incredibly nervous, but she’d offered to let him come and for some reason he had. She just hoped he was too far away to hear her hushed prayer.

“Goddess, please,” Zelda prayed with all her heart. “I need your blessing to be the leader Hyrule deserves. Please deem me worthy this time. I don’t know what I did to deserve your silence, but I am completely and utterly sorry. Please give me your blessing.”

After several moments of just feeling, Zelda offered another personal prayer in hushed tones, with a silent prayer that Link couldn’t hear her.

“I need to know,” she breathed into her clasped hands. “What does he want from his life? Would he be happy with me? Please guide me to the answers I need. I want what’s best for him and for Hyrule.”

Finally, Zelda let her hands fall and she nodded her head to the statue before getting up and and turning back to Link, who was still kneeling.

She looked past him to the guards, who were pointedly not watching them.

Looking back at Link, she noticed he was staring at her.

“What?” she demanded. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Link shook his head and stood up.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

He turned to walk away, leaving her more confused about his feelings than ever.

After he’d gone a few steps, he turned back to look at her.

“Are you coming?” he teased lightly.

Smiling beside herself, Zelda followed him back to the inn.


	8. Night Whispers

When they got back to the inn, Link climbed into bed again and Zelda hovered next to him.

“Is there something you want to talk about, Princess?” Link asked, making room for her to sit again.

She again sat cross-legged facing him. As he looked at her, he remembered how he’d been struck by her beauty, nobility, and vulnerability while they were at the Goddess Statue. She was the most fascinating person he’d ever met, and in that moment he had decided that he didn’t care how long the mission lasted or whether she married someone else. Link wanted to be by Zelda’s side as much as possible. He very much enjoyed her existence.

“I wanted to talk to you about what Impa brought up,” Zelda said, not looking at him.

Link nodded and waited for her to continue.

“The marriage thing,” she said. “What are your thoughts on me getting married?”

Surprised, Link took a while to respond. He hadn’t thought she’d ask for his opinion.

“I don’t like thinking about it,” he admitted finally.

“Why not?”

Again, Link searched for the right words.

“I like this. Traveling together. Being your knight.”

Zelda gave him a small smile.

“And you’re afraid that we won’t be as close as we are now once Hyrule is reestablished and I’m the queen? And get married?”

Link nodded.

After a moment, Zelda admitted, “I like this too. I think of you as my closest friend and not having you constantly by my side would be like missing a limb.”

Link couldn’t help but be reminded of her initial ire towards having him as her guard. He was glad things had changed.

Zelda looked at him as though she were about to give him terrible news, and his heart sank slightly.

“There’s another thought that bothers me,” Zelda murmured, her gaze moving to the window. “The thought of having you by my side, continuing to be my knight after the kingdom is restored, is a comforting one. But the thought of you being my knight and me marrying someone else, someone neither of us knows and are both technically decades older than, seems wrong. You’re the only one left who could ever understand what I’ve been through. And I’m the only one left who can understand you, and I don’t even feel like I do completely understand you.”

At Zelda’s distraught look, Link put a hand on her arm.

“You do understand me,” he murmured.

She shook her head, still not looking at him.

“Not completely,” she said. “Not like I want to.”

“Well,” he said, rubbing her arm with his thumb. “Looks like we’ll have to change that, won’t we?”

“What do you mean?”

“What would you like to know about me, Princess?”

Link watched Zelda’s face as she considered this question and knew she wasn’t going to ask what she really wanted to know.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Looking down, Link examined his Champion’s tunic, and this was almost his answer until he looked up at her again to tell her and looked into her eyes. And noticed the color of the hair framing her face.

Before he knew what he was doing, his hand was hovering next to her cheek, almost touching her hair.

When he realized what he was doing, he froze.

“I have several favorite colors, Princess,” he breathed.

“Tell me,” she said, her eyes not leaving his.

“This,” he said, gently taking a strand of her hair in his hand and letting it run through his fingers.

“This,” he said, touching the corner of her eye gently.

“And this,” he said, gesturing to the tunic she’d crafted for him herself.

Zelda’s eyes filled with tears and her cheeks turned pink.

“I’m going to go to bed,” she croaked, and before he could blink she was gone.

Wondering what he did wrong, Link rolled away from her and spent the rest of the night staring out the window.


	9. A New Traveling Companion

The next morning, Impa met them at the gate of the village. Paya and a woman Link had never seen before were with her.

“This is Kanna,” Impa said, gesturing to the unfamiliar woman, who bowed. “She will be Kakariko’s representative on your trip. We’ve provided you all with all the supplies the village could spare, which should be more than enough for your trip to Mount Lanayru and back, and then on to Hateno. Travel in peace.”

Link bowed to Impa and Zelda hugged her.

 

“So, Kanna, what is your trade?” Zelda asked as they rode north out of Kakariko, towards the Lanayru Promenade.

“I’m a warrior, Your Majesty,” Kanna replied. “I trained with the Sheikah guard in hopes that this day would come during my lifetime. It’s been my dream to travel with you and the legendary hero.”

Zelda glanced at Link, who was in the middle of trying to look like he wasn’t paying attention.

Chuckling, Zelda said, “You don’t have to call me ‘Your Majesty.’ I haven’t been crowned queen of anything yet. Please call me Princess for now.”

“Yes, of course, Princess.”

 

When they stopped for the night at the eastern gate, Link decided to practice his swordsmanship after dinner. Before he could get through very many sets, he realized Kanna was watching him.

“Would you like to spar with me?”

Kanna’s eyes lit up.

“I would be honored.”

After an hour of being only just able to win each round, without using his power to slow down time of course, Link had gained even more respect and gratitude towards their companion. He could rest easy knowing Zelda would be safe if something happened to him.

On his way back to his tent after a cool-down in the nearby river, Link found Zelda sitting just outside his tent, looking as though she were trying to meditate.

“What are you up to, Princess?” he asked, settling down next to her and adopting a similar posture.

“I’m thinking,” she replied. “Have you ever heard the Goddess speak to you?”

“Yes,” Link responded immediately. “Every time I pray at one of her statues. I went to pray in Zora’s Domain and she talked to me then as well, which I suppose means that she didn’t just talk to me to help me defeat Ganon.”

Zelda nodded thoughtfully.

“Yet another way you fulfilled your destiny better than I did. I spent the majority of my life praying at statues of the Goddess, I’ve prayed both in Zora’s Domain and in Kakariko, and I’ve never heard a word.”

Before Link could respond, Zelda held up her hand.

“I don’t need reassurances, Link. I need to figure out what I’m doing wrong and why the Goddess won’t talk to me. I want to know why my power awoke when it did and what the Goddess wants.”

After a moment, Zelda sighed heavily and stood, stretching.

“We had better get to sleep. We have to go up the mountain tomorrow.”

 

_Link and Zelda were at the Spring of Power. Link was keeping watch at the entrance, and Zelda was standing in the water, praying to the Goddess. Her voice was a soft mumble, until it wasn’t._

_“What’s wrong with me?” she cried to the Goddess Statue that loomed over her._

_Link turned and saw Zelda with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. He sheathed the master sword and gently entered the water. When he got to her, she looked at him with tear-streaked cheeks._

_Before she could speak, Link did._

_“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said. “Maybe this just isn’t the way your power will awaken.”_

_“Then how will it?” Zelda demanded. “I’m supposed to save the world with this power and I’ve failed my entire life to unlock it.”_

_Link gently placed a hand on her water-chilled arm.\_

_“You’re not saving the world on your own,” Link murmured. “I’m here too.”_

_Zelda snorted and pulled her arm away._

_“You’re a child prodigy!” she spat. “You were besting adults in combat when you were four. Life has been smooth sailing for you. Meanwhile I--”_

_“Life has not been smooth sailing for me, Princess,” Link interrupted. Zelda’s eyes widened and her face twisted with anger, but he pushed on. “When I was a child I was described as happy-go-lucky. When I turned four my father realized while watching me play that I had a knack for swordplay, so he started training me. He was the captain of the royal guard at the time. Do you know how I discovered my sacred power, Princess?”_

_Surprised, Zelda shook her head._

_“Not too long after I began my training, my mother and I were traveling from the Hyrule Garrison back to Castle Town when we were attacked by a group of bokoblins. There were five of them and two were blue. My mother had had some combat training, so she held her own against the red ones, but while I was fighting the blue ones one of them slipped past me and hit her. In my rage I discovered my power and dispatched the remaining bokoblins in seconds. But by the time the last one was dead, it was too late for my mother. I held her head in my arms and cried as a group of soldiers from the garrison approached._

_“Losing my mother would have been bad enough if my father hadn’t distanced himself from me afterwords. He kept training me, but once the soldiers told him about my power he pushed me harder and harder. I stopped laughing and stuffed my feelings inside because no one cared how I felt. About my mother’s death or anything else. Once, when we were traveling, you mused about what choice I would have made regarding my life’s work if I’d been given one._

_“Honestly, Princess, I wouldn’t have changed anything. Everything in my life has led me to you, and I hope I’ve been a comfort to you, despite all of the yelling,” Link finished wryly._

_Zelda looked at him, almost speechless._

_Almost._

_“I knew your mother had died, but I’d never heard the story,” she said quietly. “And I’d never really thought of you that way. I’ve always seen you as a mirror of myself that I would never live up to. You’ve fulfilled everyone’s expectations, while I’m the failed princess. Heir to a throne of nothing.”_

_Link shook his head. “I don’t think you’re a failure. Ordinary people don’t understand how it feels to have the weight of the world on their shoulders like we do.”_

_Zelda gave him a small smile._

_“Thank you, Link.”_

The next morning, Link emerged from his tent to find Kanna cooking a spicy breakfast to help them keep warm on their trek up Mount Lanayru. She wouldn’t be going with them.

“Eat up,” she said, handing him a plate. “It gets cold up there.”

Link devoured the food as Zelda emerged from her tent in her ceremonial dress.

“How did that survive this long?” Kanna asked as she handed Zelda some food.

“Impa had it recreated,” Zelda said, digging into her breakfast. “I can pray to the Goddess Statues in towns in my regular clothes, but the Springs are different.”

Link remembered the last time they’d made this journey and found himself missing the other Champions. He could almost see Daruk and Urbosa watching them from a few feet away, but he knew they weren’t there. Their spirits were finally free.

After they finished breakfast, Link and Zelda left Kanna to her own devices and began to make their way along the old road to the Spring of Wisdom on foot.

 

They reached the Spring around noon.

“Well,” Zelda said, her breath billowing in the air in front of her face, “here I go.”

Link watched her descend into the Spring’s waters before turning away to give her some privacy.


	10. The Goddess Statue - The Spring of Wisdom

“Goddess,” Zelda breathed into her clasped hands as she stood in the icy water, “all of my personal prayers have been for wisdom. I wanted to know his heart. Thank you for giving me an insight into his thoughts. His favorite colors… He filled me with such feelings of tenderness that I was overwhelmed.”

Zelda let a shiver run through her before continuing, “Please, please watch over us and guide us as we navigate the ups and downs of traveling with a new person. Please help to give me further insight into Link’s heart.

“Please, please give me your blessing. I’m doing my best to be the leader your people deserve. For once in my life, please recognize me.”

For a few moments, Zelda stood in the water and stared at the Goddess Statue, silently praying for it to finally speak to her.

After a while, she sighed.

“I don’t know what I have to do,” she said, “but I will do whatever it is.”

Zelda turned and made her way back to Link who took her by the elbow and helped her out of the water.

With one last glance at the Spring of Wisdom, the princess and her appointed knight made their way back down the mountain.


	11. Fort Hateno

They reunited with Kanna in the late afternoon and spent one more night in the Lanayru Promenade before setting off the next morning. The ride back through Kakariko was easily completed before lunch and after a quick meal at the bottom of the mountain, they began to draw near to a place Link recognized.

“Link?” Zelda called behind her.

He urged his horse forward to be directly next to hers.

“Do you remember what happened at Fort Hateno?” she asked softly, her eyes intense.

“Yes,” he replied. “The final memory you left for me was there. The one where your power awakened and you saved me.”

“Well,” Zelda said, straightening up in her saddle, “as you’ve probably noticed we’re about to ride through it.”

“Do you think any of the guardians are still active, Princess?”

Their seemingly empty shells loomed in the distance.

“I doubt it. After I sealed Ganon away all of them deactivated, returning to the state in which we found them 100 years ago.”

“I’ll be on my guard, just in case,” Link promised.

Zelda gave him her trademark smile.

“I’d expect nothing less.”

 

Link had to admit, the field full of dead guardian statues kind of gave him the creeps. He kept expecting them to come to life with that eerie red glow.

Once they’d made it halfway through the open field, Zelda raised her fist to signal them to halt.

“Kanna, will you look after the horses?” Zelda asked as she dismounted. “I want to show Link something.”

Kanna nodded, taking the reins from Zelda.

“Of course, Princess.”

Link dismounted and followed Zelda through the almost marsh of guardian remains. He pocketed several of their spare parts along the way to give to Purah when the got to Hateno.

Zelda stopped suddenly and Link all but crashed into her.

Following her gaze, he saw the broken guardian looming over them, just as it had 100 years ago.

 

_He was kneeling on the ground, the master sword the main thing keeping him from falling as a guardian stalker turned its attention to them. Link had already defeated dozens of the things, but he’d been unable to dodge one blast too many._

_“Link, save yourself. Go!” Zelda said, putting her hands on his shoulders from behind. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Run!”_

_The desperation in her voice wasn’t lost on Link, but he couldn’t run. He wouldn’t. He was between something he held dearer than life itself and death, and death wasn’t enough to keep him from protecting her._

_He got to his feat unsteadily. The stalker climbed the dead husks of its companions to get to them. It turned its sights on Link._

_“No!” Zelda cried, pushing him out of the way and holding up her hand as though she could stop the machine with her will alone._

_As Link fell to the ground, he saw Zelda begin to glow just before he blacked out._

_When he came to, he was in Zelda’s arms._

_“Get up!” Zelda’s voice broke into his mind._

_Coughing, he looked up at Zelda._

_“You’re going to be just fine,” she assured him._

_He looked at her, willing his voice to work. Trying his best to get the words out, the words he’d been trying to say for weeks. Barring that, he wanted her to know he wanted it to be this way._

_Link opened his mouth to speak, and then he knew no more._

Zelda’s sniffles brought him into the present and he looked at her.

“What are you thinking?”

Her face was unreadable, but her body was tense.

“I’m thinking about how I almost lost you here,” she replied. “How you were completely ready to die for me.”

Link didn’t say anything. He was still ready to die for her.

“Would you have died for me?” Zelda asked finally.

“Without hesitation.”

“Why?” Zelda asked, turning towards him and taking a step closer. “Was it your sense of duty? What were your reasons for being more than willing to give your last breath to protect me?”

“It was more than a sense of duty,” Link admitted, fighting the urge to move even closer to her. “Much more.”

Zelda didn’t speak, waiting for him to continue.

“You were my best friend. You still are. You’re the only person who’d ever understood what I was put through growing up. And we’d been together so long the thought of losing you was unacceptable to me. I would have died to let you live another day. I still would. Even if it meant we weren’t together.”

Zelda’s eyes filled with tears.

“I see you’ve thought about this a lot. But I wonder…”

Link took his turn to let her gather her thoughts.

“Have you ever considered what your death would do to me?”

As Link considered this, he clenched his fist. He hated to imagine her feeling the pain he would feel if she died.

“I’m not going to die, Zelda,” he murmured.

She looked away from him.

“You almost did. And I almost had to deal with that. But at the last moment, my power awoke and I was able to save you.”

“So it wasn’t just to save Hyrule?” he joked.

“No, it was completely selfish of me,” she said with a tearful smile. “No nobility at all.”

Link gently put a hand on her arm and gave it a squeeze. She turned to look at him, her shimmering green eyes the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“Thank you for saving my live, Zelda. Thank you for keeping me with you.”

She fell into his arms and wrapped hers around his waist. Surprised, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and allowed himself to breathe in the scent of her hair and enjoy her warmth.

After a moment, he thought he heard her say something but the words were muffled by his tunic.

“Zelda?” he asked, pulling back. “Did you say something?”

“It’s just… I haven’t been hugged in over a hundred years.”

Link pulled her back to his chest and didn’t let go for a long while.


	12. Hateno Village

As soon as Link rode into the village, the children swarmed his horse, running and jumping and cheering, welcoming him home.

“I polished your weapons for you!” Nebb, the resident weapons connoisseur, said, jumping up and down.

“And I fed your horses!” his sister called.

“You guys didn’t have to do all that,” Link said, dismounting his horse and rubbing their heads fondly.

“We wanted to!” they insisted.

“Well, I thank you both deeply,” Link said, bowing to them.

They both ran off, screaming excitedly that the hero had bowed to them.

Zelda laughed.

“You certainly have a way with children.”

Link shrugged and followed Zelda, who had yet to dismount, while leading his own by the reins.

“While I was working on freeing the Divine Beasts, I brought Nebb weapons from all over the world. His grandfather was a weapons master and Nebb wants to be a soldier when he grows up.”

A large figure approached them.

“Greetings, travelers! Would the three of you like a tour of the town?”

Link shook his head.

“You know me, Seldon. I live here.”

Seldon chuckled, a low rumble straight from his belly.

“That you do, young Link,” he said. “Is there anything you need?”

Zelda dismounted her horse and stepped forward.

“Greetings, Seldon,” she said sweetly. “I am Princess Zelda Hyrule. I’d like to speak with the leader of this town.”

Seldon did a double take.

“Princess Zelda? So many of us thought you were dead!”

“Not dead,” Zelda said with a small smile. “Simply battling to keep a great evil at bay for 100 years.”

Seldon laughed heartily again and said, “I like your spunk, Princess. Come with me, I’ll take you to our leader’s house and make sure your horses get to the inn safely.”

 

Link and Kanna knelt behind Princess Zelda while she spoke to the head of the village, Link on Zelda’s right side and Kanna on her left.

“I look forward to leading the new kingdom of Hyrule and would greatly appreciate your support as I travel the land reuniting the people,” Zelda finished.

Reede, the head of Hateno Village, asked Zelda several questions in quick succession.

“Where have you been the past one hundred years?”

“Battling with Ganon in the sacred realm to keep him contained until the hero who wields the sword that seals the darkness was healed and powerful enough to defeat him.”

“What will a new Hyrule look like under your rule?”

“My goal is to focus on education. I want to learn as much as we can about the ancient technology from 10,000 years ago, as well as our own history from 100 years ago. I want Hyrule to prosper once again and reach a point where monsters are no longer a problem and everyone is fed and housed properly.”

“When will you start collecting taxes?”

“I will determine the best and most fair way of collecting taxes after my coronation.”

“Why do you think being a kingdom will be better for the people?”

“Being a united kingdom will allow for peace. A divided kingdom such as the one we currently have is prone to squabbles and battles over disagreements as the various civilizations grow and expand. Being united and then growing from there will allow a central government to decide the outcome of territorial squabbles and I plan to do so in a way that considers everyone’s desires and needs. Additionally, being united will allow the citizens of Hyrule to learn and grow in order to reach the point where we no longer need to worry about monsters and everyone is fed and housed properly.”

“How is this not a power grab designed to make us pay to rebuild your castle and buy your clothes?”

“All of the clothes I require for the time being were saved from 100 years ago. As for Hyrule Castle, while I do intend to rebuild it I plan to do so with the money in the royal treasury, not the taxes that I will eventually start to take. I plan to use the tax money generated by the kingdom to rebuild the infrastructure that has been destroyed over the past 100 years and restore some holy sites that were once in good shape. Restoring Hyrule to how it was 100 years ago is my first priority. I also plan for Hyrule Castle to be the site of the beginning of our research into ancient technology, as opposed to a large, empty building for just myself to live in.”

Link watched Zelda with thinly veiled admiration as she answered each question honestly and completely. By the end, Reede looked satisfied.

“Hateno will support you,” he said. “And one of our own will join your party as our representative.”

Zelda bowed to the leader of the village.

“I and Hyrule thank you.”

“The person who will represent us will be chosen tomorrow. Our town is open to you until you leave.”

 

When the trio left Reede’s home, Link couldn’t help himself.

“All these people keep opening their towns to us for free. Why? Especially when they grilled you about trying to take their money to live lavishly?”

Kanna and Zelda chuckled.

“Someone doesn’t understand the finer points of politics,” Zelda teased.

“What do you mean?”

“They’re testing us,” Kanna explained. “They want to see whether their assumptions about Princess Zelda are true. If she goes on lavish, free shopping trips and eats her weight at every meal, she can’t be trusted to lead. But if she doesn’t do those things and respects the trust they put in her to not drive their town to ruin, they’ll be more amiable to her leadership.”

“Oh.”

“So, Link,” Zelda said. “You said you live here?”

“Yes. When I first came here to speak to Purah after I woke up, I was able to save a house from being demolished. It cost me several thousand rupees, but it was worth it. Would you two like to see it?”

“Yes!” Zelda said enthusiastically.

Kanna nodded, and the three made their way back through town to Link’s house.


	13. Sleeping Accommodations

“Unfortunately, there’s only one bed,” Link said as Zelda and Kanna looked around his modest home. “There are plenty of beds in the inn, though. All of us could stay over there.”

“Nonsense,” Zelda said. “Kanna and I can sleep in the inn, and you can sleep in your own bed. It only makes sense.”

Link looked from Zelda to Kanna indecisively.

“You can trust me to protect the princess,” Kanna said.

“Alright. It would be nice to sleep in my own bed.”

“Good. Now that that’s settled, please tell me about these weapons of yours,” Zelda said, gesturing to the weapon racks on three of the lower walls.

Grinning, Link went over to the first weapon.

“This is a Gerudo shield. This one was from the Zora, and this is the Hylian shield of legend,” he said, laying a hand on it. “I found it in Hyrule Castle before I defeated Ganon.

“This sword,” he said, letting his hand fall and moving to the next wall, “is the Gerudo weapon favored by Champion Urbosa. It was given to me by the Gerudo chief after I freed Divine Beast Vah Naboris. This is Daruk’s weapon, entrusted to me after I freed the Gorons from Divine Beast Vah Rudania. This royal claymore,” Link said, stopping before it where it sat against the wall, “is not unlike the one my father wielded. I found it lodged in a skull on top of one of the towers.

“And this…” Link trailed off as his hand found the Lightscale Trident. “This was Mipha’s weapon of choice, entrusted to me by her father after I liberated Zora’s Domain from Divine Beast Vah Ruta’s watery rage.”

Link paused for a moment, overwhelmed with feeling.

Moving on to the next wall, he continued, “This is the bow the Rito gave me after I freed Divine Beast Vah Medoh. It used to belong to Revali. And this is a Gerudo bow, designed to hit far away targets. This last bow is a soldier’s bow, very similar to the virst bow I ever shot.”

“Wow,” Kanna said, rocking back and forth on her heels. “You’re more sentimental than I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, all of these weapons have a story behind them. Most people keep weapons that have particular uses or strengths, and while you do have a couple of those, most of them are mementos from your past. I just didn’t expect you to have such an attachment to physical things. I suppose I forgot that heroes can be human too.”

Link looked away, considering her words.

After a moment of silence, Zelda suggested they go out to dinner.

 

That night, Link found himself tossing and turning. He kept running through the memory of Zelda saving him again and again. He thought about when she’d asked him what his favorite color was. When she’d bolted away from him, leaving him thoroughly confused.

He looked at the picture at the end of his bed, the one Kass had given him of all of them together. Him, Zelda, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, Daruk. Link found himself aching for the family he’d lost. The family he’d created.

All of a sudden, Link shot straight up in bed, the hair on the back of his neck tingling.

_Link, help me._

He looked around wildly, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. As he went to the edge of the loft, he realized he knew exactly who was calling him.

_Help me!_

Link had the master sword in hand and was running back into town before he’d consciously made the decision.


	14. The Goddess Statue - Hateno Village

When Kanna had started snoring softly in the bed next to her, Zelda quietly slipped on her boots and left the inn, giving the girl at the counter a small nod as she left.

Zelda meditatively made her way to the Goddess Statue in Hateno Village, which was right outside of Reede’s house. She held her offering in one hand and absentmindedly tapped the Sheikah slate with the other.

As she approached the Goddess statue, she was glad to find she wasn’t nearly as uneasy as she had been at the previous ones she’d visited. After making her offering, Zelda knelt and clasped her hands together in front of her.

“Goddess,” she whispered.

The grass rustled around her.

“Goddess, keep my friends and I safe,” Zelda prayed, keeping her eyes closed. “Please, give me your blessing. Help me to be the leader Hyrule needs.”

The grass was still rustling.

Zelda’s blood ran cold as she realized there was no wind.

Her eyes flew open and she caught a glimpse of a sickle peeking out around the corner of the house.

“Goddess,” she breathed, slowly and silently moving into a crouch, “help me.”

_Link,_  she called out in her heart, reaching out to him with her very spirit, _help me._

Before she could blink, she was surrounded.

_Help me!_


	15. A Night Battle

Link lept over the wall of Reede’s yard to find Zelda surrounded by three Yiga Clan members. Pushing back his memories of Kara Kara Bazaar, Link unsheathed the master sword.

“Hey,” he said quietly.

One of the Yiga Clan members turned to look at him.

They laughed.

“What a delight,” they crooned. Link could never discern their gender when they were in uniform. “We get two birds with one attack.”

“Not on my watch,” Link grunted, throwing himself at the first Yiga Clan member.

Time slowed down, just like it had for him while he’d run to Zelda across town. It was the first time he’d been able to use his power like that, but he supposed it was technically a battle.

Link swung the master sword, hitting the Clan member square in the gut and knocking them across the yard, well away from Zelda. With two more swings Link was between Zelda and the Yiga Clan members.

He held the master sword with both hands as the Yiga Clan members stood and approached them. The one Link had nailed in the gut was wheezing.

“There’s nowhere to run.”

Link grinned.

“Exactly,” he said.

As he spoke, he stepped forward and performed a spin attack which felled all three of the Yiga foot soldiers at once.

Sheathing the master sword, Link turned to Zelda.

“Are you alright, Princess?” he asked, offering her his hand.

She took it and got to her feet, shakily. She stared at the bodies of the Yiga Clan members.

Link turned to look too, and they began to fizzle out until there was nothing left of the battle but Link’s heavy breathing.

“How did you know I needed you?” Zelda asked, giving his hand a squeeze.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted, turning to look at her. “I couldn’t sleep, and I was thinking about the day Purah took that picture of us with the Sheikah slate, and suddenly I could hear your voice in my head calling for help.”

She looked at him.

“You… heard me?”

“Yes. It was just like when you woke me up from the Shrine of Resurrection. Just your voice in my head.”

She looked away from him, biting her lip.

“Did you call out for me?” he asked her gently.

“Yes. In my head I called for your help.”

“You could have just used your sealing power,” he teased as he led her out of Reede’s yard and back to the inn.

“I suppose. But I didn’t think about that. I just thought of you.”

Link blushed and became very aware of the fact he was still holding her hand.

But he didn’t let go.

They walked the rest of the way to the inn in companionable silence.

“Be safe, Princess,” he murmured as they stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

She nodded.

“I won’t leave the inn again tonight.”

Impulsively, Link leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

Zelda turned pink and Link didn’t have time to wonder if he’d done the right thing because before he could speak she was gone, up the stairs, and Link was kicking himself for being so forward.

Maybe he had done the wrong thing.

Maybe she didn’t return his feelings.


	16. Old Friends, Past Lives, and New Companions

Early the next morning, Like woke up and made his way to the inn to pick up Zelda. She’d mentioned wanting to go up the hill to the Ancient Tech Lab to see Purah and Symin, but Link couldn’t help but wonder if she still wanted to. Her expression after he’d kissed her forehead was still stuck in his mind and he wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t want to go with him.

When he arrived at the stairs leading up to the inn, however, Zelda was waiting for him.

“Good morning, Princess,” he said.

“I have a question for you,” she said as they made their way to the path leading up to the lab.

Slightly glad she’d chosen to ignore last night, he said, “Ask away.”

“Isn’t the house you purchased your childhood home?”

Link smiled.

“I was wondering when you would figure that out. When we lived there when I was a child, my parents’ beds were downstairs. The house was barely big enough for the three of us which is part of the reason why my father took the position in the royal guard.”

Zelda nodded thoughtfully.

“Any other questions?”

She shook her head, and the two made their way up the hill in silence.

 

When Zelda pushed open the door to the Tech Lab, the pair was greeted by a squeal of delight.

“Link! Zelda!” Purah, Impa’s older sister and the director of the tech lab, cried from her perch atop one of the chairs in the room. “You did it! You saved Hyrule!”

Zelda gasped.

“Purah! You’re so young!”

Purah giggled.

“Yes! I had a little run-in with a rune I was trying to create. No worries!”

Before Zelda could respond, Link pulled a sack of guardian parts out of his waist pouch and handed it to Purah, causing her to squeal all over again.

“Link, you shouldn’t have! These will be perfect for continuing my research into solving my problem!”

While Zelda chatted with Purah, Link went over to Symin to give him some sunshrooms. When he started paying attention to the two women’s conversation again, he realized they were talking about who will be Hateno’s representative.

“I have no idea who Reede will choose to send with you,” Purah said as Link returned to them. “He’ll probably choose someone completely boring and utterly useless. Who did Kakariko give you?”

“A warrior named Kanna,” Zelda replied.

“Hmmph,” Purah puttered. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he sent Koyin with you. She’s been raring for change around here for a while now.”

“Koyin? Isn’t she the sheep farmer?” Link asked, vaguely remembering a quest involving wiping out a camp of monsters for her one of the first times he was back in town.

“Yes. Either her or Seldon. He loves promoting the village. That’s my guess.”

Link and Zelda spent the rest of the morning consulting Purah on her ideas for the Ancient Tech Labs moving forward once Hyrule was officially reunited.

 

When Link and Zelda returned to the main village, they found a festival had been set up. Smells of breads and treats wafted over them, booths were set up where the various shopkeepers could sell their wares outside, and the children of the village were gathered around Nebb’s father, Nack, who was telling stories. Link followed his nose to one of the food stalls and was disappointed to find only bread.

“Hateno is famous for its bread,” Zelda pointed out when she noticed the look on Link’s face.

“I’m looking forward to Lurelin,” Link mumbled as he pored over the bread choices. “They specialize in fish. I love seafood.”

Zelda chuckled as Link finally settled on a loaf of chickaloo tree nut and wildberry bread. They made their way over to the gathering of children and settled down to listen to Nack’s stories while they ate their lunch.

“Now, children,” Nack was saying, his hands behind his back, “I have a special story to tell you. This story has been passed down in my family for generations.

“Once upon a time, there was a hero who was chosen to wield the sword that seals the darkness. There was also a princess with the blood of the Goddess Hylia. The hero and the princess had never met each other. The sword that seals the darkness had been lost to time, so the hero had yet to realize his power when the sky people fell to the earth.”

The gathered children gasped, and Link felt a sort of… low hum coming from the master sword strapped to his back. He found himself listening more intently.

“They fell from the sky on the back of a mighty chunk of land. Legend says the chunk of land hit Hyrule where Lake Hylia is today and is what caused the lake to form. The hero lived in a village on the other side of the mountain from where the chunk of land fell and felt its impact. The entirety of Hyrule felt the impact. The hero’s village sent a group of warriors, including the hero, to check out what happened.

“When the hero and his group arrived, they couldn’t believe their eyes. This chunk of land had left a massive crater in the valley and had broken apart itself. They could see ruins of buildings that had once been there. And, miraculously, there were people.

“The hero and his fellow villagers managed to rescue the people who had fallen to the earth and returned them to their village where they could be seen by healers. They told tales of a land in the sky, where the reincarnated Hylia herself had once walked and talked and lived. They called it Skyloft.

“Because of the commotion the falling land had caused, the princess of the kingdom herself journeyed to the hero’s village to meet these people. As soon as she walked into the building where they were resting, one of the elders of the Skyloft group got to his knees and bowed to her. He could sense the blood of the Goddess Hylia within the princess. As soon as the others realized who she was, they bowed too.

“All but one.”

For some reason, a chill ran up Link’s spine.

Nack went on to tell the tale of that one Skyloft person, the only one who didn’t bow to the princess. He harbored anger and resentment at the Hylians for being the ones the Goddess Hylia chose to live with. He thought the people of Skyloft should have been her chosen people as she’d been raised by them. The angry man went on to challenge the princess’s authority in such a way that caused her to have to go into hiding while the rest of Hyrule searched for the true hero to save them from this evil outsider. Everyone was searching desperately for the sword that seals the darkness so the true hero could be found.

Unfortunately, the true hero found it just after the evil man did.

The hero watched, helpless, as the evil man slammed the sword onto the pedestal it had rested in for centuries. The tip of the sword broke off and flew away; the hero screamed. It was like a part of him had been broken.

Somehow, through the pain the hero managed to grapple the sword away from the evil man and strike the killing blow. As the evil man fell, the sword glowed and allowed the hero to find the missing piece.

“You see,” Nack said, still holding his hands behind his back, “the hero was an accomplished smith. He could fix anything so seamlessly you would never know it’d been broken. But as soon as he retrieved the broken piece of the sword, he received a vision that told him not to fix it. So he took the sword back to his smithy and managed to return a point to the tip of the main sword. And he took the piece that had broken off and reforged it into a dagger,” Nack said, moving closer to Zelda, “which he presented to,” he got down on one knee, “the princess.”

Nack drew a dagger out from behind his back and presented it to Zelda with it laying flat on both of his hands. Link examined it closely and recognized the accompanying sheath immediately. It was an exact replica of the master sword, right down to the hilt.

“I couldn’t possibly,” Zelda said, her eyes fixed on the dagger. “This is a family heirloom.”

“I insist, Princess,” Nack said. “It belongs with you.”

Hesitantly, Zelda took the dagger by the handle and Nack dropped his hands.

“You’ll have to teach me to use it,” she said to Link, gently drawing it out of its sheath to examine the blade.

“Of course, Princess.”

 

As Nack began to tell another story and Link and Zelda walked away, Zelda couldn’t help but toy with her new dagger, which amused Link. He wondered if she had ever held a weapon before today.

“I wonder why the hero made the dagger for the princess,” she mused as they headed for one of the food stalls that was selling cakes.

“Protection,” Link replied, examining the choices. Once again Link was disappointed at the selection.

“Obviously,” Zelda said, crinkling her nose. Link’s heart fluttered a bit and he focused harder on the pastries before him. “But wouldn’t she have had him?”

While Link examined a jelly tart, he tried to put himself in the previous hero’s shoes. If he’d even existed, technically they were related. Depending on what one believed they were even the same person. With all of the Champions’ abilities lost as soon as he defeated Ganon, the only thing he was left with was his own ability to slow time. He couldn’t protect Zelda as well as he’d like to. He imagined the other hero felt a similar way.

“She’d already been driven into hiding once because she didn’t have him,” Link pointed out. “There was no guarantee they’d never be separated. There’s no guarantee I’ll be able to protect you next time.”

Zelda ended up making the decision for him and chose a honey cake. They walked over to the bridge that went over the stream and sat on the edge of it, their feet dangling over the water.

As they divided the cake between them, he continued, “Next time I might not be close enough to get to you in time. Or be able to hear your call.”

Zelda toyed with the food as though she weren’t hungry as Link tore into the cake. After a quizzical look from him, she took a small bite.

“I don’t like the thought of you not being around to protect me,” Zelda admitted after she’d swallowed her bite.

“I don’t just mean if I die,” Link said around the cake in his mouth. “I won’t always be by your side, as evidenced not only by last night but also by the Yiga Clan’s attack on you in Gerudo Desert. And with the Yiga Clan still after us, especially after the defeat of Ganon, I would be extremely surprised if we didn’t see them again. I want you to be able to defend yourself.”

Zelda nodded as she nibbled on more of the cake.

 

Later, Zelda, Link, and Kanna gathered with the rest of the town in the town center. Reede stepped forward from the crowd.

“Princess Zelda, Hateno Village is pleased to announce that Koyin will be joining your party. She has agreed to leave her flock in her brother’s care and travel with you.”

A young woman vaguely familiar to Link stepped forward.

“I look forward to traveling with you, Princess Zelda,” she said, not meeting the princess’s eye.

Zelda nodded to her.

“And I you, Koyin.”


	17. Growing Pains

“So, Zelda, quick question,” Link began.

The now quartet was riding towards Dueling Peaks Stable, where they would spend the night. The previous night they’d stayed right outside the cabin of Dr. Calip, a man devoted to researching a specific ancient text. Link had met the man previously and managed to solve the text, but Dr. Calip wasn’t interested in what Link had to say.

“Yes?” Zelda prompted.

The two were riding slightly ahead of Koyin and Kanna, but as always Link was just behind Zelda’s right side.

“Have you thought of some specific ways you’d like to improve the kingdom?”

Zelda grinned.

“In all honesty, when this is all over I’d love to open a university in Hyrule Castle dedicated to studying Sheikah technology.”

“If I were going to start a school,” Link said thoughtfully, “I’d start with local schools. The kids in Hyrule get educated by their parents, so basically all they get access to is the knowledge their parents have. Some travel, yes, but I feel as though local schools would provide more opportunities for children who aren’t necessarily going to have to fight for their survival at every turn.”

Zelda looked at him, taken aback.

Link narrowed his eyes.

“What? It’s not a bad idea!”

“No,” Zelda said, shaking her head. “I wasn’t going to say it was. I’m just surprised I hadn’t thought of that myself.”

“It’s probably because you had private tutors,” Koyin spat. “Royalty always have private tutors.”

Link turned to see Koyin and Kanna had gotten closer to them.

Zelda fixed Koyin with a stern glare.

“I did not have private tutors,” Zelda replied civilly. “I spent my whole life dedicated to trying to unlock the sealing power with no one’s help. And things like sewing and the Sheikah technology I learned because they interested me, not because they were forced upon me by private tutors. I concede that I have to work to effectively consider the position of regular Hylians and what they’ve gone through, but don’t for one minute think I was a pampered princess.”

Koyin glared at the ground and didn’t respond.

“You didn’t have anyone to teach you politics?” Kanna asked.

Zelda shook her head, looking down at the reigns in her hands.

“All I had was observing my father. When my mother died I shadowed him constantly. There’s still so much I need to learn though. He was a wartime leader. There was no one to teach me how to lead between the Calamities.”

Link remembered the altercation Zelda had had with her father not too long before the Calamity, and part of him was glad she hadn’t learned much from him. He was a hard man.

The quartet finished the ride to the stable in silence.

 

“We need four beds,” Link told Tasseren, the stablemaster of Dueling Peaks Stable.

Tasseren clucked his tongue, shaking his head.

“Those are all of the beds we have. I only have two extra at the moment. I’m afraid two of your party are going to have to sleep on the floor.”

“That’s alright,” Link said, handing Tasseren the rupees for the two beds. “Thank you.”

Link returned to the rest of his party, who immediately began bickering once he told them the news.

“I would like to sleep in a bed,” Kanna said quietly.

Koyin stomped her foot, and Link couldn’t help but feel like this was going to be a very long trip.

“No, I want to sleep in a bed!” she cried.

Link rolled his eyes. Talk about pampered.

“There are two beds,” he pointed out.

Koyin huffed at him.

“No, there’s only one because the princess always gets the bed,” she snarled.

Zelda put her hands on her hips.

“That’s enough, you two,” she scolded. “You, Koyin, and Kanna can have the beds. I’ll sleep in one of the tents. Link can sleep wherever he wants.”

Koyin and Kanna looked at each other as though they were trying to decide whether a bed or decorum were more important.

“That’s an order,” Zelda said.

Koyin shrugged and took her pack over to one of the beds. Kanna gave Link a pitiful glance as she walked past him.

Link sighed and went about pitching Zelda’s tent.

“I’m sorry, Link,” Zelda said. “Koyin was just being so irritating.”

“That’s alright,” Link said as he set up her tent. “Once this is all over I can sleep in my own bed as much as I want.”

It started to rain just as he finished Zelda’s tent.

“Great,” he muttered under his breath as he went about setting up his own tent.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Zelda’s soft voice came from behind him.

“Do what?” he grunted as he struggled with his tent.

“Pitch my tent.”

“It’s faster if I do it.”

He turned from his finished tent to see Zelda biting her lip.

“What’s up?” he asked as he put the tools back into his pack.

“I was… I… It’s nothing,” Zelda mumbled, looking away.

Link stood to face Zelda.

“Talk to me,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders.

The rain was falling thicker now, almost obscuring the stable even though they were so close to it.

“Here, let’s talk in your tent,” he said, ushering her through the tent flap.

She unrolled her bedding and sat on it, her knees pulled to her chest. Link took her usual place at the foot.

As he waited for her to choose her words, he looked her over. Her traveling clothes, which had somehow survived a hundred years, were a bit tattered and wet from the rain. Her hair was frizzy, and her boots needed cleaned.

Wordlessly, he reached over and pulled her boots off.

When he reached for the brush to clean off the mud, Zelda protested, but Link waved her off.

“It’s my pleasure, Princess.”

Zelda straightened out her legs and looked at her socks. They were a little worse for the wear, Link noticed out of the corner of his eye.

“We can get you new traveling socks in Tarrey Town,” Link said, not taking his eyes from the boots. “One of my friends there is an excellent tailor.”

Zelda’s response was a small smile.

Link chuckled to himself as he put the newly cleaned boots by the door of the tent.

“Now who’s the strong and silent type?”

He turned to face her.

“I don’t know why you’re upset, but I’d like to comfort you if you’ll let me. May I hug you?”

Zelda looked a little hesitant, but she eventually ended up snuggled in his arms as the rain pounded even harder against the tent.

Link pulled her close.

“Everything will work out in the end,” he murmured, his voice muffled by her hair.

“Will it?” Zelda asked sleepily.

“What could go wrong?”

She snuggled her head into his chest and he hoped she couldn’t feel his heart hammering against his ribs.

“You could stop wanting to be around me,” she whispered.

Link held her tighter.

“Why would I stop wanting to be around you?”

Zelda shrugged.

“You seemed irritated with this mission.”

“I was irritated,” he admitted. “And it would be nice if it weren’t a bunch of girls.”

Zelda laughed.

“Poor Link, ever the ladies’ man.”

Link blushed furiously.

“That was in the past,” he said quietly. “These days I’m just one lady’s man.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked, her voice even drowsier. “And whose man are you?”

Before he could respond, Link realized she was asleep.

Smiling to himself, he laid her down gently on her bedclothes and allowed himself to lightly touch her face.

“If you knew, Princess,” he murmured, no longer smiling, “would you return the favor?”

Link silently made his way out of her tent and back to his own.


	18. The Head Stablemaster

The next morning, after Link had packed up the tents, the group of four awaited the Head Stablemaster by the stable’s fire.

“When is this guy gonna show up?” Koyin asked, poking the fire with a stick.

“The master of this stable said the Head Stablemaster rides through once every few weeks,” Zelda replied. “We’re lucky enough to be here at the right time.”

“So you’re saying we could find him at any stable?” Kanna asked.

Zelda nodded.

“This is the stable closest to where our traveling schedules collide, however.”

Link heard a loud clattering and turned to see a large man in the seat of a wagon pulled by two solid brown horses. The wagon was piled high with crates of supplies like the ones littered about the stable.

The man pulled his horses up to the stalls and handed the reins to one of the stable hands. Looking around with his hands on his hips, the man spotted them and joined them at the campfire.

“So,” he said, sitting with a huff on one of the stools and pulling a knife and chunk of wood out of his pocket. “What’s this I hear about the princess of Hyrule needing to speak with me?”

“I am Princess Zelda Hyrule,” Zelda said. Link noticed she’d become more confident in announcing herself to important people.

The Head Stablemaster looked her up and down, sizing her up as he scraped the knife against the wood.

“You don’t look a hundred and seventeen,” he said gruffly. Looking closer, Link noticed the man was carving the wood rather than hacking away at it.

“I spent the last hundred years battling and containing Calamity Ganon in the spirit realm,” Zelda replied. “One does not age as a spirit.”

“Hmmph,” the man said. “Well, since I know you I’d better introduce myself. The name is Grento. I’ve been Head Stablemaster for almost 40 years.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grento,” Zelda said, bowing her head. Link, Kanna, and Koyin did the same.

After Zelda explained her plan for reuniting the kingdom and reuniting all of the cities and towns that survived the Calamity, Grento scratched his beard.

“That’s quite a task you’ve set for yourself,” he commented. “What will you gain?”

Zelda paused. Link couldn’t remember anyone else asking her this question; all the other Hylians they’d encountered had just assumed she was after riches. When she’d proven otherwise they hadn’t sought an alternative.

While Zelda crafted her answer, Link tried to answer the question for himself. Why hadn’t he just stayed in Hateno? After all, Kanna had proved herself to be more than capable of protecting Zelda if need be. Even though she didn’t have the power to stop time like he did.

Link looked at Zelda. She was sitting with her back straight, knees together, hands on her knees. Her face was thoughtful. She was taking the time to answer properly and truthfully. Her hair blew slightly in the wind and Link found himself remembering their walk down from Mount Lanayru.

_This time, her tears didn’t come. As they made their way down the mountain, Link realized that Zelda hadn’t really believed that praying at the Spring of Wisdom would help. He admired her for persevering anyway._

_“The rumor mongers were right,” Zelda said quietly. “I am the heir to a throne of nothing.”_

_Link shook his head._

_“Never, Princess.”_

_Zelda looked at him._

_“How do you mean? Mount Lanayru was my last chance and it failed. I have nothing._

_“I am nothing.”_

_Link stopped walking. Zelda went a few more steps before she realized he’d stopped and stopped herself, turning to look back at him._

_Link walked up to her and put his hands on her upper arms. Her face flushed, and he felt his cheeks turn a bit red as well as he remembered she was still wearing her ceremonial dress. Her skin was soft and warm._

_Shaking his head a bit, Link looked Zelda in the eye._

_“You are not nothing,” Link said. He knew he had never before said such important words in his life. “You. Are not. Nothing. Not to Hyrule. Not to me.”_

_Zelda’s face turned even more red and she looked away form him._

_“We should head back.”_

_Link nodded and let his hands slide down her arms gently before taking both of her hands in his. He squeezed them briefly before letting her go._

_For a moment, Link thought she was going to say something, but then she turned and kept heading down the mountain._

_Link followed at her right side._

Link tried to classify his feelings for Zelda. It was more than friendship or loyalty, judging by the way hugging her made him feel and his impulse to kiss her forehead, but it wasn’t the same as love. At least, it wasn’t the same as what he thought love would feel like. And it was more than just being soul bound to her through time. She was the only one who could understand why he was the way he was.

Zelda’s voice broke into his reverie as she answered Grento’s question.

“What I gain by reuniting Hyrule is the joy of being able to help its citizens live better lives. The joy of being able to open schools where children can learn more than just how to survive. To restore Hyrule to its former glory, and bring it even further than that. And to help the people feel safe again. All I’ve ever wanted was to protect the citizens of Hyrule, and I can best do that as the head of a reunited kingdom.”

Grento put his knife away and brushed away a few extra chips from the piece of wood he was carving. When Link looked at it more closely, he realized that the Head Stablemaster had carved an ornate bracelet with his crest on it.

“Princess Zelda Alaya Hyrule, daughter of King Rhoam Bosforamus Hyrule and Queen Zelda Jenia Hyrule. I pledge myself to your rule,” Grento announced, presenting her with the bracelet.

Zelda took it, her brows furrowed.

“How did you know my full name?”

Grento laughed a booming, belly laugh.

“My grandfather worked in the stables at Hyrule Castle. He told me all the stories of the royal family.”

Zelda put the bracelet on, a small smile on her face.

“Thank you, Grento. For remembering me.”


	19. Link's Jealousy

Later, as the four were riding southwest towards the Faron region, Koyin pulled her horse up on Zelda’s left side.

“So, Princess, have you decided what you’re going to do about marriage?”

Link pretended not to listen, but couldn’t keep his hands from tightening on the reins.

“Why do you ask, Koyin?” Zelda asked, unfazed.

“Grento looked at you like you were the stuff of his dreams,” Koyin snorted. “When you told him thank you the look on his face said he’d bed you right then and there.”

As the edges of his vision turned red, Link registered that Zelda’s face was so red it reached the tips of her ears.

“Koyin!” Zelda gasped. “That is inappropriate and completely incorrect. He was simply trying to be kind.”

“Uh huh,” Koyin grunted, falling back to ride with Kanna.

After a moment of silence that allowed Link’s anger to boil almost to the point of jumping off his horse and finding something to kill, Zelda spoke, almost too quietly for him to hear.

“Grento would be a suitable candidate,” she muttered.

Link snorted.

“The man is at least fifty years older than you,” he snarled.

Zelda looked around, surprised, as though she hadn’t expected him to respond at all let alone so violently.

“Well,” she said, turning back to the front and composing herself. “Despite his age he has considerable experience being a leader. He’s traveled a majority of Hyrule as well so he’s probably familiar with pretty much everyone.”

“I know pretty much everyone,” Link said, his hands shaking.

And then he remembered the Zora king’s words.

“Don’t marry someone who will lead for you,” Link spat. “Marry someone who will support your rule. You are the heir to the throne, not whomever you choose to marry.”

Surprised, Zelda glanced at him once again, but this time didn’t say anything.

The group rode on in silence.

 

When they stopped for the night, Link pitched Zelda’s tent on the highest ground he could find as the forest they were in was particularly wet.

Zelda approached him as he went to pitch his own tent.

“Can we talk?”

“Sure,” he grunted. “Talk.”

He heard the wet leaves rustle under her feet.

“I meant in private.”

“I’m really tired, Princess,” he said, refusing to look at her.

“Fine.”

And then she was gone.

Even more angry than he had been, Link grabbed the master sword and left the camp in search of something he could beat up.

 

About an hour later, Kanna found him sparring with a tree.

“I don’t think it’s going to fight back,” she commented as he swung his sword against the wood again and again.

Ignoring her, Link jumped and slammed his sword down on the tree, cutting it in half. As he walked away to find another, Kanna followed.

“What--do--you--want?” Link asked between strikes against the tree.

Kanna shrugged.

“I just wanted to check on you,” she said. “I saw you and the princess get into it earlier and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Link’s response was to strain his muscles to the limit by hitting the tree as hard as he could.

“Killing yourself won’t solve your problem.”

Link stopped swinging the master sword and let it fall to his side. Sweat poured down his body, mingling with the rain that had just started to fall.

“What do you want?” he demanded again, panting.

“Like I said, I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said, handing him a pouch of water.

After drinking it eagerly, Link handed the pouch back to her.

“I’m fine. Thanks.”

The two traveling companions looked at each other for a few moments, long enough for Link to notice that Kanna had traded her traditional Sheikah clothes for Hylian traveling clothes. Her hair was done up in the traditional Sheikah style, though.

“Why did you change your clothes?” he asked.

She looked down at herself quickly, as though she’d forgotten what she was wearing.

“Oh,” she said. “Sheikah clothing is impractical for travel. I’ll wear it when we go to towns, but it’s more comfortable to travel in this.”

Link nodded.

“I like it. It suits you.”

Kanna flushed slightly and Link wondered if he’d said something wrong.

Before he could think it through, Kanna said, “You should probably bathe before returning to camp.

He sighed and sheathed the master sword.

As he turned to find a place to wash, Kanna said, “Everything will work itself out.”

Remembering he’d said something similar to Zelda himself not too long ago, Link hated himself a bit.

 

After washing his clothing and laying it out to dry with the master sword, Link sank down into the water and let it soothe his heated muscles. The rain had stopped falling and a bit of sun was peeking through the clouds.

Suddenly, Link’s head shot up. His ears had picked up something his mind was taking time to register, but before he realized he was hearing the sound of someone moving through the brush he looked and saw his clothes were gone. He cursed under his breath; how could he have let himself relax like that?

“Looking for these?”

Link spun around in the water to find Koyin standing next to a tree. She had his clothes in her arms.

“Really funny,” Link said, crossing his arms. “Give them back.”

“Not until you hear me out,” she said, setting the clothes out of his reach and settling herself on top of a rock.

“What do you want?” Link grumped, sitting on the bottom of the pool so that only his head stuck out of the water.

“I want you and the princess to stop fighting. I’m the only one in this group that’s allowed to get under her skin.”

“And why is that?”

“Because someone has to be the black sheep, and it’s always been me,” Koyin explained, examining her fingernails.

“What do you know about my relationship with Zelda?” Link demanded.

Koyin rolled her eyes.

“You and the princess are like two halves of the same whole. You complement each other. You two being apart is like the Calamity all over again. I think you should talk to her.”

“Whatever,” Link said, the anger in his chest unfurling and leaving him sad. “It won’t help anyway.”

“How do you know until you try?” Koyin asked.

She got up, returned his clothes to where he could reach them, and gave him a wave over her shoulder as she went.

 

Link didn’t sleep well at all that night. He kept dreaming of Zelda walking away and Koyin screaming at him. There was also a plethora of guardian stalkers chasing him down as he tried desperately to catch up to Zelda.

When he finally decided to get up for the morning, rubbing the back of his head to try to wake up a little bit, he noticed a shadow outside of his tent.

“Who’s there?” he called, hastily pulling his Champion’s tunic on.

“Me,” Zelda’s voice replied. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Link said.

She nudged the tent flap open and tossed something to him. Catching it, he realized it was several endura carrots tied together.

“Thanks,” he mumbled as she took her spot at the end of his bedding.

As he munched on the first few carrots, Zelda looked at the ground between them and they sat in an almost companionable silence.

“Can we talk now?” she asked.

Link grinned.

“I suppose, now that an offering of food has been made.”

Zelda gave him a small smile.

“I don’t want to marry the Head Stablemaster.”

“Thank goodness,” Link said, taking another bite of a carrot. “Did I mention he’s like ancient?”

Zelda rolled her eyes.

“Yes, you did.”

The two sat in almost silence for a few more moments before Zelda spoke again.

“Link… would you consider us to be close?”

He considered this.

“I suppose, yeah. You’re my best friend.”

Zelda’s cheeks turned pink, but she pressed on: “Can I ask your advice?”

“Sure.”

“Whom do you think I should marry?”

Link almost choked on his last carrot.

After his coughing fit subsided, he set the last carrot aside and gave Zelda his full attention.

“Why would you ask my opinion?”

“You’re my best friend as well, Link,” she said quietly, not looking at him. “And you vehemently opposed the Head Stablemaster. I was simply wondering if you had anyone in particular in mind.”

Link wanted more than anything in the world to declare himself to Zelda right then and there. He’d been trying to hint at it for weeks, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. He also couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was holding him back. After all, he was the prime candidate. He and Zelda knew each other very well, he would be more than capable of protecting her, and he knew the entire kingdom inside and out because of his travels.

As Link opened his mouth to speak, a memory came to him.

 

_“You’d better not mess this up for me kid,” his father slurred at him the night Link had been appointed to guard the princess. “You’ve got a lot to live up to.”_

_Link glanced at the bottle in his father’s hand and didn’t say anything. Link couldn’t remember the last words he’d said to anyone. He focused on packing his few belongings._

_“You listen to me when I’m talking to you!” his father roared. “This is the greatest honor anyone in the kingdom could have received, and you got it by using a pot lid to deflect a Guardian laser. You’re one lucky kid. In the right place at the right time.”_

_Link pressed his lips together hard. He already thought he didn’t deserve this. Just because he’d been besting adults in combat since he was four didn’t make him anything special. Maybe he was just really lucky._

_Except when he wasn’t._

_“I don’t have to tell you not to go falling for the princess,” his father continued, taking another swig. “You’re just a knight. No one important. Just because the sword that seals the darkness chose you doesn’t mean you have any right to go around with the princess. Do not bring that shame upon our family.”_

_Link burned to demand how falling in love with the princess would bring their family shame, but he didn’t have to. His father wasn’t finished._

_“Just because I’m captain of the royal guard doesn’t mean you’re anything special. The princess is way above us in social status. If you pursued her you’d be making a fool out of me and yourself. Your mother would be ashamed.”_

_A ghost image of a woman popped into Link’s mind. He had no idea what his mother had looked like, but he liked to imagine her with a kind face._

_“Your job is to keep the princess of Hyrule alive,” his father snarled. “Nothing else.”_

“Link?”

Link shook his head and realized his heart was pounding.

“Link, are you alright?” Zelda asked.

He also realized her hand was on his leg.

He took a few breaths to steady himself before responding.

“Yes, Princess, I’m alright.”

“Good,” she said.

Her unanswered question hung over them.

“I don’t think I’m qualified to tell you whom you should marry, Princess,” Link said, looking away from her.

She pulled her hand away.

“Shouldn’t we be heading to the Spring of Courage?” he asked, grabbing the discarded carrot.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Zelda’s expression fall.

“Yes, I suppose,” she said, and then she was gone.

Link cursed himself as he finished his carrot and packed their provisions.

How could he have let himself grow so close to Zelda?


	20. The Goddess Statue - The Spring of Courage

This time, as Zelda stood in the freezing waters of the spring while Link kept watch, she knew exactly what she wanted to pray for.

“Goddess,” she said into her clasped hands, “please give me the strength to tell him how I feel. I think he might feel the same way, after how he… he kissed me and how he held me and I fell asleep in his arms. Please, Goddess, give me some sort of sign that he’s the partner who’s meant to help me lead the kingdom. Please, give us your blessing.”

Zelda saw a light behind her closed eyelids, and when she opened them she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

The Goddess Statue was glowing.

“Princess,” a voice that Zelda recognized as the Goddess Hylia’s even though she’d never heard it before whispered, “follow your heart.”

And with that, the statue stopped glowing.

Zelda turned around to see if Link had noticed anything, but he hadn’t moved from his guard. She could hardly believe the Goddess had finally spoken to her, let alone believe what she’d said.

“Link,” she called, wading through the water to him.

He turned around, sheathed the master sword, and reached to help her out of the water.

“What is it, Princess?” he asked.

Trembling with anticipation, she replied, “After you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection, I took the master sword to Great Hyrule Forest so it would be safe,” she said. “While I was there I was going to ask the Deku tree to give you a message for me, but he said I should give it to you myself.”

Zelda could have sworn she saw Link’s breath catch, but she wasn’t entirely sure.

Before she could continue, Link spoke.

“Princess, I’m sorry for getting so angry before,” he said. “It’s none of my business who you marry.”

“What if I want it to be your business?”

He fell silent.

“The Deku tree said that my message would be best heard coming from my voice,” she said.

Link waited, and neither of them were really breathing.

“Link, I love you.”


	21. The Hero's Dilemma

Link’s whole world came crashing down around him. He couldn’t believe his advances had worked, and quite frankly it disgusted him. How could he have been so bold as to kiss her, or hold her until she fell asleep? He was just her knight. How could he have allowed her to creep into his heart like this? How could he have fallen for her?

After a long silence, Zelda clenched her fists.

“There,” she said, her voice full of tears. “There, I told you what I was going to ask the--the Deku tree to tell you, so--so there. Now you know.”

Link turned away from her. He couldn’t believe this was happening. This was everything he’d ever wanted, but he couldn’t shake the thought that he didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve to be happy, least of all with the princess of Hyrule. He’d let his mother die and abandoned Hyrule for 100 years. He could be no ruler. Even with his knowledge of Hyrule.

The soft sobs coming from behind him broke his heart.

“Link, say something,” Zelda begged.

How could he have allowed himself to be so bold?

How could he have allowed himself to love her?

How could he have allowed himself to believe he could be happy?

He felt Zelda touch his arm and instinctively he pulled away, lost in his own thoughts. He heard a soft thump and whirled around.

Zelda was kneeling on the ground, sobbing, her arms wrapped around her middle.

Suddenly Link was watching Zelda cry in a similar position while they were running from Ganon.

 

_Zelda was crying in his arms after asserting that the deaths of everyone they cared about were her fault because she couldn’t unlock her sealing power. Link had no idea what to say, so he just held her._

_As they sat there and she sobbed, Link realized none of this could possibly be Zelda’s fault. Her mother had died before she could teach her. Calamity Ganon had had thousands of years to come up with countermeasures against their technology and had succeeded. Zelda was not at fault._

_Before he could tell her they were interrupted by a group of survivors running from the castle._

 

Now, Link knelt before the princess once again.

“Zelda,” he whispered. “Zelda, you could do so much better than me.”

Zelda stopped crying immediately.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded, wiping the tears from her eyes with the palms of her hands. “How could you say something so ridiculous?”

Confused, Link shook his head.

“It’s not ridiculous. You deserve someone who can help you lead. I’m just the person who’s supposed to keep you alive.”

“You, Link, are my best friend in the whole world. We’ve literally been through hell together and survived it. You know this kingdom better than anyone, including me. You are the only reasonable candidate for my husband.”

“I can’t marry you, Zelda, I’m just a knight! I’m so sorry for--for everything. The kiss and the favorite colors and the holding you. I was way out of line and I am so sorry. You deserve someone better than me. Someone more important. Someone who knows how to lead.”

“I don’t need someone who knows how to lead!” Zelda shouted. “I can do that just fine! I need someone who knows the people of Hyrule! I need someone who will have my back in every situation we find ourselves in! I need someone who loves me as much as I love them! I need you!”

All of his old anxieties suddenly rose to the surface and his heart was pounding so hard in his ears he couldn’t breathe.

“I can’t,” he gasped. “I can’t.”

Zelda looked at him for a long moment.

“Then I can’t be ruler of Hyrule.”

It took a long time for this to sink in.

“What do you mean?” he demanded.

“If I can’t have you as my husband, then I can’t lead Hyrule the way it deserves to be lead,” Zelda said, getting to her feet. “Let’s go back to camp so we can tell Kanna and Koyin it’s time to go home. I’ll have to write the Head Stablemaster to explain the situation. It’s a good thing this happened so early in our journey; I won’t have to apologize to the whole kingdom.”

Link stayed on the ground, nonplussed.

“I suppose I could stay in Kakariko with Impa,” Zelda said, pacing around Link with her hands behind her back. “Or I could find a trade. I was decent at sewing. I could travel around and research the ancient technology on my own, or join one of the Ancient Tech Labs. I’m sure they’d accept me. No matter what my father said I was not playing at being a scholar; I was good at it.”

Link couldn’t believe his ears.

“Well, come on then,” Zelda said impatiently. “We need to get back to the others so we can get the ball rolling. I suppose you’ll be going back to Hateno then? How will you make a living? Your house isn’t exactly equipped for farming, or any other sort of useful trade. But why should I care, after this we’ll probably never see each other again.”

“You… I… what?!” Link exclaimed, falling back onto his bum, the master sword’s sheath clattering against the rock.

“Which part is confusing?” Zelda asked, crouching down in front of him and crossing her arms on her knees. “The part where I can’t rule without you or the part where we go our separate ways?”

“All of it,” Link choked.

“Well it’s only logical,” Zelda explained. “If I can’t marry you I can’t be queen, and I also can’t stay with you any longer than necessary. I’d have to move on. Find someone else. Build a new life.”

“I can’t imagine my life without you in it,” Link admitted. “I thought… I thought I’d stay your knight if you married. That I’d always be near you.”

Zelda sat down.

“Link, I love you,” Zelda said. “I love you with every breath I take. I cannot have you near me anymore without our relationship changing. I can’t have you be just my knight when I want to be so much more.”

Link let his head fall into his hands.

“I have a question,” Zelda said softly.

Link waited.

“Why do you think kissing me and telling me your favorite colors was a mistake?”

“I’m just supposed to keep you alive,” Link mumbled. “I can’t fall in love with the princess.”

“And who told you that?”

“My father.”

“When?”

“The night your father announced I was to be your knight. My father told me I couldn’t fall for you because I’d make a fool of myself and it’d bring shame upon my family.”

“Link, look at me.”

Link raised his head and found himself looking into Zelda’s endless green eyes.

“Your father is dead. No one alive remembers him, or who your family was. You’ve been given a great gift, the gift of a new life. You can do whatever you want with this new life. Forget what your father told you. What do you want?”

Her hair was gently moving with the breeze; her eyes were like a dream; her skin he remembered was so soft; her heartbeat was like music to his ears. Absentmindedly he reached out and touched her hand. He lifted her hand so that their palms were touching, and slowly he intertwined their fingers.

“I… I want you…” he admitted. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

“Are you sure?” Zelda asked gently. “I can’t have you changing your mind on me.”

Link pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as though his life depended on it.

“I’ll never change my mind,” he said into her hair. “I love you, Zelda.”

“I love you too, Link,” she said, holding him in her own arms. “Silly boy.”

 

After a while of simply holding each other, Link let her go.

“What happens now?” he asked as they made their way back to the camp.

They walked so close together their shoulders brushed, and Link’s heart was soaring.

“Well, now we go to Lurelin to see what boon they want from us in return for joining the kingdom,” Zelda teased.

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

She smiled her trademark smile and Link’s heart leapt.

“Now, you and I carry on as we were,” she said. “At least until we return to the Zora king. We don’t want to cause too much of a stir as we try to reunite the kingdom.”

Link looked away, thinking.

“I suppose that’s alright,” he said. “We have already been acting like a couple for the most part.

Zelda chuckled.


	22. Lurelin's Prejudice

When they were close enough to Lurelin to hear the ocean, it was all Link could do to keep from spurring his horse on ahead. Lurelin was his favorite village to visit.

“You look pretty antsy, Link,” Koyin commented.

“I’m just looking forward to spending some time in Lurelin,” Link said, almost bouncing in his saddle. His horse shook her head disapprovingly and he settled down.

“What do you like about it?” Koyin asked. “From what I’ve heard from the woman in Hateno who’s from here it’s just a boring fishing town.”

“It is not boring,” Link said. “Yes, there’s mostly fish, but they also have hearty lizards and hearty blue-shelled snails. Palm fruit is one of the best things around and porgys are delicious. The town itself is beautiful, the people are nice, and the beach is always a fun experience.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing it again after all this time,” Zelda said. “Before the Calamity I’d only been there once. We took a vacation here when I was thirteen, and after that I never got to return.”

 

It was the first time they’d arrived in a town and weren’t immediately swarmed. Link appreciated this as it allowed them to get settled in before metting with Rozel, the town’s elder. Because Link knew Lurelin so well, he took the lead and the group made their way to the town’s inn. They dismounted, hitched their horses to the fence, and Link went inside to reserve them some beds while the others unloaded everything.

“Hello, Chessica,” he said as he approached the counter.

“Link!” she cried. “My best customer! What brings you to Lurelin once again?”

“Royal family business,” Link said. “Can I reserve four beds?”

“Royal family?!” Chessica gasped. “Does that mean--”

“Yes,” Link said with a smile. “I need four beds, one for each member of Princess Zelda’s party.”

“Oh, my goodness, I didn’t know we’d have the princess staying here!” Chessica dithered. “Our accommodations are nowhere near up to scratch for such a prestigious guest!”

“Normal accommodations are more than acceptable,” Zelda’s voice came from behind Link.

He turned to see her standing in the doorway. As she walked up to stand next to him at the counter, Link was afraid Chessica would lose her mind.

“Of course, Princess!” Chessica said. “The Gerudo woman has moved on in her search for a husband, so all four of our beds are available. All of your party is more than welcome to stay here.”

“Thank you, Chessica,” Link said, setting the rupees on the counter.

 

Link and Zelda exited the inn, and Koyin and Kanna were nowhere to be seen. Upon closer inspection Link saw them at the store on the pier.

“Should we wait for them before we go to see Rozel?”

Zelda shook her head.

Link lead her past the inn towards the dock Rozel could usually be found on.

Noticing the Goddess Statue, Zelda asked, “Will you keep me company when I go to pray tonight?”

“Of course, Princess.”

They found Rozel staring out to sea on the dock next to his raft. When the planks of the dock squeaked beneath them, Rozel turned.

“Link!” he said, and then he saw Zelda.

After a moment of stunned silence, Rozel’s face went blank.

“Princess,” he said, inclining his head.

Link tensed. Something in Rozel’s tone made him uneasy, and with two town guards within shouting distance and Zelda not technically royalty anymore, who knows what Rozel would do if he wanted to settle a score with the royal family.

“Hello, Rozel,” Princess Zelda said, bowing to him.

The old man stepped back a bit.

“What could the princess of Hyrule want with Lurelin?” Rozel asked.

“I’ve come to ask you to support me in my journey to reunite Hyrule into a whole kingdom once again.”

“And why would I do that?” Rozel demanded. “It’s only been a few decades since the Calamity, and I’m old enough to remember the fear it instilled in the hearts of everyone in Hyrule. What good did the royal family do us then?”

Zelda sighed.

“Would you like to hear the whole story, Rozel?”

Raising his eyebrows, Rozel said, “What more could you tell me that I don’t already know?”

Zelda shook her head, saying, “I have no way of knowing what you know, sir. But I would like to tell you the whole story of what happened so there are no misunderstandings between us.”

Rozel considered this for a moment.

“Alright,” he said, settling himself down to sit on one of the dock posts. “Let me have it.”

Zelda lowered herself to her knees, as did Link.

After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she began to speak.

“The power to seal Ganon away has been passed down through the females in the royal family for generations. When my father, King Rhoam Bosforamus Hyrule, heard the prophecy telling us that the tools we needed to combat the Calamity were buried beneath the ground, he began the excavation at once.

“I was a child at this time, only six years old, and my mother had just died. She was the only person who could teach me how to use the sealing ability but she never got the chance. My father asked a Sheikah elder what to do, and they suggested I pray to the Goddess to unlock my power. From that day forward, praying was my only priority. Once, when I was still young, I passed out in the freezing waters of the Spring of Courage trying to unlock the sealing gift. By the time I was sixteen, I was dubbed the ‘heir to a throne of nothing’ by the nobility. Nothing I did awakened my power, so I threw myself into helping with the unearthed Sheikah technology in the hope of still being able to combat the Calamity that way.

“I traveled to the four city-states and asked four Champions to pilot the Divine Beasts the Sheikah researchers had unearthed. When one of the royal guard showed an aptitude for the master sword and abilities of his own, Link joined our ranks. I devoted myself not only to prayer but also to helping the Champions learn to pilot their Divine Beasts as efficiently and effectively as possible. However, my father decided I was wasting my time and should focus wholeheartedly on my prayers. Therefore, I left the castle with my appointed knight and headed to Mount Lanayru.

“The Spring of Wisdom only allows those who are seventeen, so on my seventeenth birthday the four Champions sent my appointed knight and myself off on the road to Mount Lanayru. When we arrived, I entered the freezing water and prayed as hard as I could for the Goddess to give me the power to save my people, but once again my prayers went unanswered. So my appointed knight and I returned to the East Lanayru Gate empty-handed.

“That was the day Calamity Ganon awoke. The Champions and I hurried to our respective posts, the four Champions to their Divine Beasts and Link and I to the castle, but Ganon had a plan that none of us were prepared for.

“I’d learned in my research of five pillars beneath the castle that held a multitude of autonomous Guardians built to help in the fight against Ganon. As we were never able to excavate deep enough to find them, I decided they were too far below the ground to be of use to us. They weren’t too far below the ground to be of use to Ganon, however.

“The pillars responded to Ganon’s presence and erupted from the ground. Unfortunately, they were corrupted by malice, which is part of Ganon’s essence of hatred. The guardians turned on Hyrule, and the ones form the five pillars were the ones who destroyed Castle Town and most of the surrounding area. They also chased the remaining royal forces to Akkala Citadel, where the surviving Hylians were eventually defeated.

“Ganon himself slaughtered my father. When the four Champions arrived at their Divine Beasts, they were ambushed and killed by Ganon’s underlings, who then trapped the spirits of the Champions in the machines. When Link and I arrived at the castle, Castle Town was already gone.

“We fled to the one safe place left we could think of, escorting a group of survivors--Fort Hateno. But the guardians were there too. Link fought to protect me but was eventually defeated. This was when my sealing power finally awakened. I managed to save Link and deactivate all the guardians at the fort. Two members of the Sheikah tribe arrived and I tasked them with taking Link to the Shrine of Resurrection where he could heal and be safe until his time came once again. I gave myself the task of ensuring the safety of the master sword until Link could retrieve it. I set out for Great Hyrule Forest.

“After entrusting the sword to a trusted associate within the forest, I made my way back to Ganon at Hyrule Castle and managed to trap him and myself in the spirit realm, where I fought to contain him for the hundred years it took Link to heal. By the time Link freed the Divine Beasts and the Champions’ spirits and retrieved the master sword, I was growing very weak. Link arrived at Hyrule Castle just in time.

“Once Link had defeated Ganon, I used my power to defeat him once and for all. Now, I am on a mission to reunite Hyrule and restore it to the glory it saw 10,000 years ago, when we originally created the Divine Beasts. I also want to right my own wrongs and help to keep Hylians from any further pain as much as I possibly can.”

When Zelda had finished speaking, Rozel shifted uncomfortably.

“Princess Zelda, I apologize for my rudeness,” he said finally. “You were right. I didn’t have the whole story.”

“I forgive you, Rozel,” Zelda said. “Please consider rejoining the kingdom. I want nothing more than to offer you the type of economic healing and benefits that only a kingdom could provide.”

“I’ll have to think on it for a spell, Princess. Lurelin has gotten quite comfortable with being out of the way of things. I’ll have to speak to a few of the villagers to get their take on it.”

“I understand.”

Rozel stood, and so did Link and Zelda.

“I’ll call for a town meeting tomorrow afternoon,” Rozel said. “Your group will have to entertain itself until then I’m afraid. Our village is quite comfortable and exciting. Garini found an ancient statue he’s been studying if that interests you, and there’s good fishing to be had. You’re welcome to use my raft as you please.”

“Thank you, Rozel,” Zelda said, bowing to him once again.

As Link and Zelda walked away, Rozel called, “It’s good to see you back, Link!”


	23. Killing Time

The quartet met back up in front of the inn, and Zelda gave them all the rest of the day off. Kanna headed off to the Lurelin General Store, Koyin went to the Treasure Chest Shop, and Link lead Zelda towards the ancient statue Rozel talked about.

“I gave you the day off,” Zelda pointed out as the two of them walked along the beach. “You don’t have to accompany me.”

“I know,” Link said, reaching out and taking her hand in his. “This is just me, accompanying you on your adventure. Not because I think you need protection, but just because I want to spend some time semi-alone with you.”

Zelda looked down at the sand, a small smile on her face.

Before she could respond, someone hailed them.

“Hey!” a young man standing next to a broken statue called.

Letting go of each others’ hand, Zelda and Link hurried over and the man addressed Link while Zelda examined the statue.

“Link!” the man cried, smacking Link on the shoulder. “I was wondering when you would come back!”

“Garini, always a pleasure,” Link said. “Have you learned anything more about the ancient monument, or was it only a clue to lead us to the shrine?”

Garini looked past Zelda at the glowing blue shrine.

“The shrine seems to have been the monument’s only purpose,” Garini admitted. “And after you emerged from the shrine and told me its purpose, I realized that was purpose enough as it helped you save Hyrule. However, I still come here regularly to examine the monument. My interest in the doings of Hyrulians 10,000 years ago cannot be assuaged.”

Zelda looked up at Garini from where she was kneeling next to the fragment of the monument.

“What does the monument say?” she asked. “And how do you know its message? It’s in pieces.”

“Well, Link helped me by taking pictures of the other pieces that were scattered about,” Garini explained, looking at Zelda a bit uncomfortably. “He used that thing you have on your hip. And I deciphered its meaning based on other texts that were found.”

Zelda put her hand on the Sheikah slate thoughtfully.

“What did the monument say?”

“‘When the two find their place and kneel in reverence, the shrine will reveal itself,’” Garini recited.

“Hmm,” Zelda hummed, placing her hand on the monument. “And the two of you knelt on the pedestals, which caused the shrine to appear?”

“That’s correct, Princess,” Link said.

Garini visibly jumped.

“Princess? As in, Princess Zelda?!”

Zelda inclined her head to him, saying, “The same.”

“You’ve returned!” Garini cried, jumping up and down. “Oh, Princess, I was hoping this day would come in my lifetime. But I had no idea I would be able to meet you in person, this close! Princess, I have a dream I’ve wanted to realize since my childhood, but I feared it would never happen.”

Zelda stood, brushing the sand off her knees.

“What is your life’s desire?” Zelda asked.

“I’ve dreamed of studying at the Royal Ancient Lab of legend,” Garini explained. “I know it was destroyed in the Calamity. Some of our villagers who have traveled across Hyrule have described its ruins to me. I would love to see it reestablished and be one of its students.”

Link met Zelda’s eye in time to see her smile.

“Garini, one of my plans for the reunited Hyrule is to establish a university based on the ancient technology. I would love to see you be its first student.”

If Garini had been an octoballoon, Link decided, he would have expanded and floated away. Jumping up and down, he looked like he wanted to.

“Princess, you have filled me with so much joy!” Garini cried. “Please, please let me know when you establish the university. I would love nothing more than to study under established geniuses such as Dr. Purah, Dr. Robbie, and Dr. Calip.”

“I will be sure to do so, Garini.”


	24. Combat Training

As the afternoon got later, Link invited Zelda to spar with him and led her to an open space on the beach.

“What type of sparring do you have in mind?” Zelda asked as Link traced a circle in the sand with his foot. “I’m not exactly your equal in combat.”

“Think of it less as sparing and more as training,” Link said, finishing the circle and stepping inside of it. “Now. What is the first step to any fight?”

Zelda grasped her chin and supported her elbow with her opposite hand, thinking. Link was amused at the thought of her picturing a sparring match, his and Kanna’s perhaps, and trying to puzzle out the answer to his question.

“Keeping hold of your weapon when it meets your opponent’s,” Zelda replied finally.

Link shook his head.

“That’s like, step four. Step one is simply drawing your weapon.”

“Oh,” Zelda said, her hands falling. “I suppose that makes sense.”

“Now, Princess, arm yourself.”

Zelda fumbled to draw her dagger. Once she had it in hand, Link shook his head again.

“You need to do it decisively,” he explained, unsheathing the master sword in one, swift movement.

Resheathing it, he said, “One moment of hesitation could cost you. Try again.”

Zelda returned the dagger to its sheath and then pulled it out as fast as she could. The dagger flew out of her hand and landed tip-first in the sand just outside of the circle.

Chuckling, Link jogged to retrieve it, and as he handed it back to her he said, “Step two is holding onto it when you’re not yet engaged in fighting.”

Sheepishly, Zelda sheathed the dagger once again.

This time, she managed to draw it quickly without letting it fly out of her hand.

“Excellent. Now again.”

Link made Zelda repeat the action until she couldn’t do it wrong, testing her by coming up behind her and spooking her, and making sure she was ready to defend herself at a moment’s notice.

Once he was satisfied, Link modeled some basic fighting forms using one of his own daggers and coached her through each one until she could do them on command, from memory, in different orders.

“Good,” he said as they sheathed their weapons for good. “Now that you’re starting to build the muscle memory I’ll have to start ambushing you in between practice sessions to work on your reaction times.”

“If you say so,” Zelda said with a smile.

As the two made their way back to the inn, Zelda reached out and took his hand.

He glanced over at her and grinned, giving her hand a squeeze.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’m just wondering how we’re going to spend the rest of the evening,” Zelda said. “We’ve still got a few hours before dark.”

“We could take Rozel’s raft for a ride?” he suggested.

“Yes!” Zelda said, grabbing the hand she already held in both of his and pulling him toward the dock.


	25. A Boat Ride

When they got to the pier Link used the master sword to cut the rope mooring the raft. Looking around, he found a korok leaf and held it as he handed Zelda onto the little craft. Once she settled herself, he climbed onto the raft and used the giant leaf to set sail.

After carefully navigating them out of the bay, Link steered them in the direction of three rocks that formed a large triangle in the water. Stopping them in the middle of the triangle, Link put the korok leaf down and sat next to Zelda.

“How did you know these rocks were here like this?” she asked, scooting closer to him.

Tentatively, he put his arm around her. When she snuggled into his side he held her tighter. She sighed contentedly and laid her head on his shoulder. He turned his head towards hers and breathed in her scent, like silent princesses and hearty radishes.

“It’s a combination of the map on the Sheikah slate and something Rozel told me when I first arrived,” he said.

“Ah,” she said.

“Was there anything you wanted to talk about, Princess?”

“Link,” she said, “you don’t have to call me princess when we’re alone.”

“I--sorry. Zelda. Was there anything you wanted to talk about?”

“Not particularly. I just wanted to watch the sunset with you and get a moment away from all the villagers.”

Link felt his cheeks flush slightly.

“I’m glad,” he admitted.

“Oh?” Zelda asked, looking up at him.

“Yeah,” he said, getting lost in her eyes. “I’m glad.”

“Do you remember when we met?”

Link jerked himself out of his trance and tried to remember.

“I was accidentally spying on you while you were praying at the Goddess Statue in the castle’s garden?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, giggling. “It was quite rude.”

“Not as rude as you were throughout most of our pre-Calamity relationship,” he pointed out.

Zelda sighed.

“I suppose you’re right,” she said, snuggling into his chest and making his heart skip a beat. “I was quite awful to you. Why on earth did you stick around?”

“Well to be honest with you I initially stuck around out of a sense of duty,” he said. “But after I saved you from the Yiga Clan things changed between us. You opened up to me and I opened up to you, and slowly I grew to genuinely like you and want to be around you.”

“I’d never seen anything like what you did for me that day at Kara Kara Bazaar. Not only was your fighting a thing of beauty, but also your willingness to protect me even after how horribly I’d treated you was admirable in itself. You proved to me in that moment that you are a man of integrity and I couldn’t help but admire that.”

“So let me get this straight,” Link said, leaning back against the mast of the raft. “You opened up to me because I’m full of integrity and ridiculously attractive when I’m fighting?”

Zelda’s entire face immediately turned red.

“That’s not exactly what I meant,” she choked.

Link laughed and pulled her close.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” he said.

“So do I, but we have a kingdom to reunite, and I have a blessing to secure,” Zelda said. “We’d better head back.”


	26. The Goddess Statue - Lurelin Village

With Link keeping watch, Zelda made another offering of a silent princess to Lurelin’s Goddess Statue and knelt to pray.

“Goddess,” Zelda breathed into her clasped hands. “Please give me your blessing to rule your people. Link and I would make a good head of state for Hyrule.

“Also… Please give Link and I your blessing. I love him dearly.”

Zelda felt a low humming in her chest and opened her eyes to see a small glow within the Goddess Statue. Even though she didn’t hear the Goddess speak, she knew the Goddess Hylia had heard her.

Standing, she turned to Link, who looked at her.

“Let’s go to bed,” she said, offering him her hand.

He took it and they returned to the inn together.


	27. Link's Nightmare

_Link was dressed in the regalia of the royal guard, standing on the steps of Hyrule Castle. Looking around him, everything was pristine. Like a Calamity had never happened._

_When Link realized he was holding someone’s hand, he turned to see Princess Zelda behind him in all of her royal regalia. Her hair was neatly combed and braided, her dress looked as though it had been freshly cleaned, and her eyes looked ready to take on the world._

_“I now present to you, Queen Zelda!” Link said as though he were watching someone else use his body._

_He led Zelda forward by the hand, presenting her to the gathered crowd of Hyrulians. Everyone clapped and cheered as Zelda released Link’s hand and prepared to speak._

_“Citizens of Hyrule,” Zelda said, her hands clasped in front of her. “I am pleased to announce that my wedding will take place in three days. You are all more than welcome to stay in Castle Town if you would like to attend the ceremony.”_

_Link looked around him again and it was a different day. Once again he was dressed in the regalia of the royal guard, but this time he was standing next to an older Zora man. A man Link couldn’t see was standing on the Zora’s left, and in front of him were two groups of seats with an aisle in the middle._

_At the same moment he realized this was a wedding, Queen Zelda began to walk down the aisle._

_She was a vision in white; Link had known her beauty but had never seen it in such a way. As she walked down the aisle toward her intended, she looked like more than a queen. She looked like a goddess._

_Zelda arrived at the front and turned away from Link without acknowledging him._

_As she pledged herself to someone else, Link’s stomach fell to his toes._

Link woke in a cold sweat and sat upright in his bed. He turned and looked over at Zelda’s sleeping form and tried to control his breathing.

“It was just a dream,” Link muttered to himself, laying back down and rolling over. But a tiny, familiar voice in the back of his mind made it a long time before he could fall back asleep.

_What if I’m not right for her?_


	28. The Town's Request

The next evening, after a feast of every delicacy Lurelin had to offer, the thirteen members of the town and the four travelers gathered outside of Rozel’s hut. The four travelers; Zelda in front, Link on her right, Kanna on her left, and Koyin on Kanna’s left; knelt on the ground with the townspeople surrounding them. Rozel stood on the steps of his hut and addressed Zelda and her entourage.

“Princess Zelda Hyrule,” Rozel announced, “I have met with the townspeople and discussed conditions for our joining the reunified Hyrule. I believe we have come up with terms that are more than fair.

“As you know, during the time of the old kingdom, we were so far removed from Hyrule’s politics we no longer had a representative living in Castle Town. As such, we didn’t know of the Calamity until well into the Age of Burning Fields. In order to fix the disconnect between our far-removed village and Hyrule Castle, we propose that from the time a child of the Hyrulian royal family reaches seven years of age, the must spend a wekk in Lurelin village in the home of one our families and live as we do during their stay. This week-long visit must be once a year until the child takes the throne or turn seventeen. We as a village do not wish to fall through the cracks of the new kingdom and become forgotten, valued only for our taxes. We contribute much to the land of Hyrule and we believe this new tradition will benefit both ourselves and the royal family.”

Zelda glanced discreetly at her attendants. Kanna and Koyin shrugged, and Link gave her a small nod. If the two did wed and have children, Link would have no problem entrusting the people of Lurlin with them. With Link’s nod, Zelda agreed to the elder’s terms.

“We will also be sending one of our own to journey with you,” Rozel continued after he and the village had thanked Zelda. “Garini has enthusiastically volunteered to accompany you on your journey.”

The young man stepped forward on the balls of his feet, still bouncing.

“We will gladly accept Garini into our party,” Zelda said, bowing her head to him. Garini bowed fully in return, glanced at their formation, and took his place kneeling on Koyin’s left.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to Lurelin Village for your hospitality,” Zelda said. “From here we will travel to Tarrey Town in the region of Akkala. I hope to visit your village again soon after the kingdom of Hyrule is reestablished.”

 

After they packed their horses and Garini had collected the items he needed for travel, their band of five rode out of Lurelin Village back towards the stable they’d passed on the way.

Before they were terribly far out of the village, however, they heard a cry from behind him.

“Wait!” a voice called.

Turning in his saddle, Link saw Mubs, the young woman who owned the Lurelin General Store, running after them.

“What could she want?” Link asked as Kanna shifted uncomfortably in her saddle.

Zelda called the group to a halt to allow Mubs to catch up with them.

Instead of going to Garini, like Link expected, Mubs went to Kanna and handed her a package.

“Here,” she said, panting heavily. “Take these with you. And take care.”

And with that, the young woman returned to the village, leaving Zelda, Link, Koyin, and Garini to stare at Kanna in confusion.

“What?” she demanded, hastily tucking the package away into her saddlebag. “I’m not allowed to make friends on this journey?”

“I’ve never seen Mubs run after someone like that before,” Garini mused as the group continued towards the stable.

Link noticed Kanna’s ears turning red.

“Hey Garini,” Link said, “what kinds of things would you like to learn from Purah and Robbie?”

Sufficiently distracted, Garini happily told them all about everything he’d heard from those from the village who’d managed to travel throughout Hyrule and wanted to corroborate with his own research. Kanna threw Link a grateful glance and her ears slowly went back to their normal color. Zelda gave Link a confused look and he shook his head slightly while Garini prattled on.


	29. The Great Plateau

After a few days of travel and an encounter with a group of lizalfos on the Bridge of Hylia, Zelda led the group to the entrance to the Great Plateau. It had caved in so long ago the stairs leading down to the rest of Hyrule were filled with water.

“I have to go to the Temple of Time,” Zelda said, examining the rocks blocking the Great Plateau thoughtfully. “But how?”

“Even if we manage to dig through the rocks, the water will bowl us over and we’d get hurt at the very least, if not killed,” Link pointed out.

Zelda looked around at the ruins of Gatepost Town.

“I think the water would just run to Lake Kolomo,” she said.

Garini examined the landscape while Koyin looked on disapprovingly.

“I think the water would flood this flat area,” Garini said. “There’s nothing really leading it anywhere else.”

“Is this really necessary?” Koyin asked. “Flooding Hyrule Field?”

“It wouldn’t flood the whole field,” Zelda said patiently. “And yes, it is necessary. I have to pray at all of the Goddess Statues in Hyrule to receive the Goddess’s blessing to rule.”

“Ugh,” Koyin said, craning back to look at the top of the wall. “This is gonna be so much work.”

“I agree,” Zelda said, following her gaze. “However will we solve this problem?”

“This would be so much easier if we could lure a guardian stalker over here,” Link said.

Then he got an idea.

“Kanna, take the horses to those ruins and get them as high up as you can,” Link said, pointing to where he wanted her to take them. “Koyin, could you help her?”

The two women nodded and set about getting the reins of all five horses and taking them to where Link wanted them to go.

“What are you thinking, Link?” Zelda asked as he ushered her and Garini to the ruins as well.

“Bomb arrows,” he said with a grin.

Zelda shook her head, smiling too.

“You’re a crazy person,” she told him.

“If I weren’t we never would have officially met,” he pointed out.

“I think it’s brilliant,” Garini said. “Bomb arrows would take out the rocks in no time!”

Link pulled Zelda into a tight hug.

“I’m going to climb up,” he said after he let her go, “and drop down, firing bomb arrows as I go. I want you all against the walls so you won’t end up in the water.”

“Won’t you end up in the water?” Garini asked.

“Probably,” Link said. “But I’ll do my best to use the paraglider to get past the worst of it.”

“Be safe Link,” Zelda said.

“Always, Princess,” he said, winking at her before starting his climb up the wall.

 

When he got to the top, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was incredibly stupid.

Deciding he was, he jumped.

Calling on his power to freeze time, Link pulled out his bow, nocked an arrow, and let it fly at the entrance to the Great Plateau. He used his power to do this several more times before finally pulling out the paraglider.

As he glided to Zelda and Garini, the few rocks left in the entrance to the Plateau began to rumble ominously. They broke open just as he touched down next to his companions.

Water rushed out of the Great Plateau, doing just as Garini said it would and flooding the road just beneath the walls. Fortunately all of them were on high enough land to be spared wet feet. It was more water than Link had expected, but it didn’t take long to empty.

They were left with an entrance to the Great Plateau that was not only sopping wet, but also incredibly devoid of the stairs that had once been there. Link jogged forward to assess the damage, closely followed by Zelda, Garini, Kanna, and Koyin.

“Look’s like we’re going to have to climb,” Link said, examining the debris with his hands on his hips.

“How are we going to get the horses up that?” Koyin demanded. “They’ll never make it.”

“I know,” Zelda said. “Link and I will climb up and go to the Temple of Time alone. You three can move on, and we’ll meet you at the Riverside Stable in a couple of days.”

“You think it will take that long?” Kanna asked.

“Well,” Link said thoughtfully, “it’ll take us the rest of the day to get to the Temple of Time if we book it. Zelda will need some time to pray, and then we’ll have to make it to the stable ourselves. At least two days, maybe two and a half.”

“Will the two of you be okay on your own for that long?” Garini asked.

Link and Zelda made eye contact and grinned.

“We’ve been through worse,” Zelda pointed out as she went to relieve her horse of its luggage.

Following, Link did the same.

 

Kanna, Koyin, and Garini had left and Link and Zelda were deciding how best to climb the Great Plateau.

“I guess we’ll just have to brave the mud and then wash when we get to the top,” Link said.

“I wonder how well we’ll be able to grab,” Zelda said as she touched the earth that had been submerged for so long. “It’s basically a mudslide.”

“We can use the ruins of the stairs to help us,” Link pointed out, gesturing to the stones that stuck out of the mud oddly. “We should only have to actually climb a bit of it.”

“Okay,” Zelda said. “Do you want to go first?”

Link thought about this. If he went first, he could tackle any enemies they might meet at the top. But if Zelda went first, he could catch her if she fell.

“You can go first, Zelda,” he said with a bow.

Rolling her eyes, Zelda began to climb.

 

When they made it to the top, Link was pleased to find they were cleaner than he’d expected them to be, but was disappointed it’d taken them longer than he’d thought. The sun was beginning to set.

“We can camp at this shrine,” Link said, gesturing to the first shrine he’d gone to when he’d woken up. “Then we can head to the temple in the morning.”

“Sounds good,” Zelda said, dropping her bags on the base of the shrine. “I want to wash up before we go anyway.”

Link went to set up their tents while Zelda started a campfire.

“Want to bathe with me?” Zelda asked, gesturing to the pool of water next to the shrine.

Immediately, Link turned red.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Princess?” he asked nervously.

“Link,” Zelda said, moving closer to him and putting her hands on his chest. “You’re not just my knight anymore. I love you.”

“I know,” Link said, putting his arms around her. “But we aren’t even engaged. It’s completely improper.”

“There’s no one around,” Zelda pointed out. “No one knows this place is reachable yet. We have one night completely to ourselves. Who cares about propriety when things like royalty and court manners haven’t existed for one hundred years?”

Link felt Zelda’s warm body against his and found himself agreeing.

 

He couldn’t watch her undress, so he made taking off his weapons take much longer than it needed to to give her time to disrobe and get into the water.

Still blushing furiously, Link removed his clothes down to the underwear as well.

“Well?” Zelda called. “Are you coming in?”

Link looked at her and almost died.

She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. Her hair fanned out around her, floating on top of the water. Her wet underwear clung to her in ways her regular clothes didn’t, and Link wanted very badly to touch her soft skin.

“Well?”

Link slowly made his way into the water and stopped about a foot away from Zelda.

She splashed him, breaking the tension and causing him to laugh.

He splashed her back, making her gasp.

“Oh, you’re on!” Zelda cried, scooping water into his face.

After an intense water battle where both got completely soaked, Zelda reached for the bar of soap she’d put next to the water.

“Will you wash me?” she asked.

Link heard the tremor in his voice and his hands trembled as he took the soap from her and lathered them with it.

He slowly ran his hands up and over her arms, reveling at just how soft she was.

As he scrubbed her stomach and lower back, she shivered.

“That feels good,” she said quietly. “I haven’t been able to get clean in a while.”

“I’m glad I can help,” Link said.

Once Zelda had been scrubbed, Link went to scrub himself but Zelda stopped him.

“It’s my turn,” she teased, taking the soap from him.

Zelda touching him was the best thing he’d ever experienced in his life.

When he was clean, he sat down on a ledge beneath the water and pulled Zelda to him.

“I love you,” he said. The sun was now long gone and they were alone beneath the stars, the crackling fire their only light.

“I love you too,” Zelda said, sitting on his lap with her knees on either side of him.

“We should probably get some sleep,” Link said nervously. She was so warm against him and he really enjoyed touching her soft skin.

“Probably,” Zelda said, lazily draping her arms around his neck.

Neither of them moved.

“Link, I’d really like to kiss you,” Zelda said, “but I can tell you’re nervous and I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I just… I’m not used to being close to you like this,” he said sheepishly. “How are you so okay with it?”

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I suppose it’s because I feel comfortable with you.”

“Oh.”

Link tried desperately to figure out why he didn’t feel as comfortable as she did, and suddenly the dream he’d had in Lurelin filled his mind.

“What’s wrong?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

“I had a nightmare in Lurelin,” he said. “After we visited the Goddess Statue.”

“What was it?”

After he told her, she took his face in both of her hands.

“Link, I love you. I want to marry you. I want to rule a kingdom with you. I want to have and raise children with you. I want you. You are the only right person for me.”

He took a breath, breathing in her warm scent, and slowly he felt his anxieties leaving him.

“Do you want to go to bed?” she asked after his heart rate had calmed down.

“No,” he said. “Do you still want to kiss me?”

Zelda dropped her hands from his face and placed them on his chest.

“I would.”

She leaned down to him as he moved up to her and they met in the middle.

Kissing her was like tasting starlight. A chill ran through his entire body, straight to his heart. As she put her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer, the chill turned into a blazing fire, burning his entire body from the inside. Instinctively, he ran his hands up and down her back and pulled her hips closer to him. She gasped into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his hair.

He didn’t want to stop. His entire body burned for her, and her pressed against him was driving him insane. He wanted to remove everything between them and get as close to her as possible.

Zelda herself wasn’t really helping. She was moving her hips against him in a way that made his vision go white, and her kisses were intoxicating.

“Zelda,” he gasped, pulling away.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her arms still around his neck.

He placed his hands on her hips and scooted her back a bit, making her chuckle.

“You’re right, we should really get to sleep,” she said.

She released him and climbed out of the water. He followed and watched her wring the water out of her hair.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Link said, gathering up his clothes and weapons, his mind still whirling from what had just happened.

“You could keep seeing me now,” she said, kicking her own clothes into her tent.

“What do you mean?”

“We could share a tent.”

Link looked at his tent and then at Zelda. She was so lovely under the stars, and so soft. And he was still burning with desire for her.

But after a moment he shook his head.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he said, looking away from her. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“You’re right,” Zelda said. “Good night, Link.”

That night, Link went to bed with a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	30. The Goddess Statue - The Temple of Time

The next morning, Link and Zelda packed their things and made their way to the Temple of Time. Zelda had decided to wear her ceremonial dress instead of her normal traveling clothes, so Link was carrying her things as well as his own.

The walk was spent entirely in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts about the night before. Zelda couldn’t help but wonder if Link regretted bathing with and kissing her like that. His face was as unreadable as it had been 100 years ago, when he’d first been assigned as her knight.

They made their way up the stairs to the Temple of Time and found it completely devoid of monsters, to Zelda’s relief. Her dagger was with her traveling clothes and she hated the thought of Link fighting again, especially with all the weight he was carrying. She couldn’t wait to change so she could carry some of it too.

When they got to the top of the stairs, Zelda couldn’t help but stop in her tracks and stare up at the building. When she was a child it had been one of the most magnificent buildings in the kingdom. Now, it was just another ruin.

“I can’t believe so much destruction can occur in only 100 years,” Zelda said quietly.

Link didn’t respond.

Once they were about halfway into the temple, Zelda told Link to keep guard. She didn’t want him to hear her prayer.

With a silent princess in her hands, she approached the giant Goddess Statue. As she got closer, she noticed several smaller Goddess Statues surrounding it and wondered at the significance of this. She couldn’t remember whether they’d been there 100 years ago.

The princess of Hyrule placed her offering at the foot of the statue and knelt to pray.

“Goddess,” Zelda prayed into her clasped hands, her eyes closed, “I’m not sure what’s going on between Link and myself right now. Last night was wonderful, but I’m wondering if it was too much too fast. Maybe he’s not ready for an intimate, physical relationship yet?”

As she prayed, it occurred to Zelda that this just might be the case. She’d been in love with Link before he’d fallen protecting her; he hadn’t been. The idea of them being in a relationship was still new to him.

“Please help me to be a good leader for this kingdom. Please help me to keep my head on straight around Link. Please help me to figure out why he’s acting so strangely.”

Zelda saw a glow through her eyelids and opened them.

With a gentle glow, the Goddess Statue’s voice said, “Princess… all…. will be… well.”

The statue stopped glowing and Zelda got to her feet.

She returned to Link’s side and took the opportunity to admire him. He was beautifully built and very handsome, especially when he was on guard.

She put her hand on his shoulder and he glanced at her.

“I’d like to change.”

He handed her her bag and she went to find a private corner to change in.


	31. The Abandoned Castle

After they made their way to Riverside Stable and met up with the others, all five of them traveled on to the Wetland stable where they decided to stop for the night. Hyrule Castle loomed over them, empty and broken.

Link hadn’t spoken to Zelda since their night swim besides what was required. He still felt strangely about their relationship, and while he couldn’t quite place why, his nightmares had been getting worse and started featuring his father. He was returning to the belief they weren’t right for each other at all, and couldn’t figure out how to talk to Zelda about what was going on.

Now they had so many people in their party, the small band of ambassadors knew they couldn’t hope to stay in any more beds for a long while. Link paid the stablemaster to allow them to camp in the stable yard and they set up their tents for the night.

After dinner Zelda announced she was going on a walk. Link followed her at a discreet distance, wanting to give her space but also wanting to make sure she was safe in case any lingering monsters were about. She stopped on Rebonae Bridge and looked towards the castle. Since they had defeated Ganon together, the castle looked abandoned and kindof creepy, especially with the five pillars around it that hadn’t disappeared after their success.

Link watched Zelda and kept guard from a small grove of trees near the bridge. At the thought of the five pillars he couldn’t help but think of all the guardian machinery that would have to be rounded up after the kingdom was reunited. There had been so many guardians, even broken ones they’d found while they were originally excavating, that it would be a massive job. On the bright side, Link admitted to himself, Purah, Robbie, and Garini would have the time of their lives rounding up and repurposing all of that machinery.

Zelda raised her hand and gestured for him to come over. Obliging, he was soon at her side, staring up at the decrepit castle.

“It’s sad, isn’t it,” Zelda said softly. “It used to be the grandest structure in Hyrule.”

Link nodded.

Zelda glanced at him and he had a sneaking suspicion the state of the building wasn’t the only thing on her mind. So he waited.

“Did you know there’s a royal treasury, Link?” Zelda asked after a few silent moments.

After considering this, Link shrugged.

“I have no doubt in my mind that it survived,” Zelda said. “We’ve been to three of the four major villages that have survived the Calamity and none of them exhibit the wealth I would expect from someone having raided the royal coffers. No one but the royal family themselves knew where the royal treasury was. I’m the only one alive now who could find it. And with the castle having been guarded by guardians and Ganon for the past 100 years it’s doubtful anyone has secretly plundered it and is silently living in prosperity.”

“Would you like to visit the castle, Princess?” Link asked.

“Why are you being so formal?” Zelda demanded, turning on him. “Why haven’t you spoken to me in days? What did I do wrong?”

Alarmed, Link took a step back.

Zelda glared at him, waiting for his response.

“I… I don’t know if I’m right for you,” he said finally.

To his complete surprise, she rolled her eyes.

“How many times do I have to go over this? You’re the only one I want. The only one in this entire kingdom who could possibly help me fulfill my dreams. Why do you keep questioning this?”

Link looked away, a little hurt she wasn’t taking him seriously.

“I’ve been having more nightmares,” he admitted.

Zelda’s demeanor softened.

“Tell me about them.”

After he explained, tears spring to Zelda’s eyes.

“Link, I am so sorry,” she said. “I had no idea. And it doesn’t matter that I had no idea, I never should have spoken to you that way. Please forgive me.”

He nodded.

“There is no way I am marrying someone else,” Zelda said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “And there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t be together. I want to be with you. I want to rule this kingdom with you by my side.”

Link turned his eyes to the ground. He was starting to wonder what he wanted. He felt like he was being driven down a path someone else had chosen for him. A path he wasn’t sure he wanted. Did he really love Zelda? Or did he just love her because he loved her 100 years ago? What even was love?

When Zelds spoke again, Link knew she was on the verge of tears.

“Is it because of our bath? If I’d known it would change your mind about me, I never would have suggested it.”

He shook his head.

“It’s not that,” he admitted. “That was the best night of my life. It’s just… I don’t know, it feels like I’m following a script someone else has laid out for me. I don’t know if this is really what I want. Ruling the kingdom, being such a public figure. I’ve been shoved into the public eye ever since I was four. Maybe I just want some peace and quiet.”

“I didn’t even think about that,” Zelda said. “Link, if you don’t want this, you can walk away. When I said I wouldn’t rule Hyrule without you, I meant more that I don’t want to. But I do believe in reuniting the kingdom. So if you want to go our separate ways after everything is said and done, I will accept that. I’ll find another suitor and marry someone who wants this life. I will not sacrifice your happiness. Ever.”

He nodded.

“Thank you, Zelda.”

She pulled him into a quick hug and then let him go.

“We can talk about where this leaves us later,” she said. “I think we both need some time to digest everything. For now we should get back to the others.”

 

The next morning, the group of five ate their breakfast and gazed across the river at the castle.

“It looks so peaceful now,” Kanna remarked. “I remember seeing it as a child and it was the most terrifying thing in the world.

“Wasn’t it covered in all of that goop?” Koyin asked, munching on her swift carrot soup.

“It’s called malice,” Garini said. “One of the villagers said several key places in Hyrule were covered with the stuff.”

“The Divine Beasts certainly had enough of it,” Link remembered with a shudder.

“When will you return to the castle for good, Princess?” Koyin asked.

Zelda shrugged.

“When this job is done. However, once the castle is rebuilt it will probably serve as more of a home base for myself than anything. I see myself traveling a lot.”

“The population of Hyrule isn’t what it used to be,” Link reflected sadly. The citizens of all three of the towns they’d visited so far could easily inhabit all of Castle Town.

“We will grow,” Zelda said firmly. “Hyrule will return to its former glory.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” Koyin said, glancing at the abandoned castle once again. “But that place is pretty big, and very empty.”


	32. In Remembrance

When they arrived at Akkala Tower, which had risen out of the middle of Akkala Citadel when Link awakened all the towers, Zelda called their group to a halt. They all followed her lead and dismounted. Zelda led them on a silent pilgrimage to the ruins of Akkala Bridge, from which the best view of the citadel could be had.

At the edge of the broken section of the bridge they found Nell, a Hylian Link had met on his journey who wanted to pay his respects at the citadel but had been unable to because of the guardians around it.

Once he caught sight of Zelda, Nell immediately dropped to one knee.

“Rise, traveler,” Zelda said. Nell got to his feet.

“My companions and I wanted to pay our respects to the Hylian last stand on the top of the citadel,” Zelda said. “My knight told me you wanted to pay your respects as well. Would you like to accompany us?”

After nodding and thanking Zelda profusely for this honor, Nell joined their group and the six of them made their way up the citadel steps in a state of silent reverence.

Link could almost feel the fear and determination of the fallen Hylians seeping upward from the stones beneath his feet. He couldn’t imagine how they’d felt, fighting for their lives against an enemy they couldn’t defeat. Not knowing whether they would live to see another day. Whether they would get to see their families one last time. Whether their deaths led to the survival of their families.

When they arrived at the top of the citadel, Zelda sat down and the other five sat around her. They sat in a meditative silence, listening to the sounds of nature around them. Link thought he could hear a soft hum from the tower.

After sitting in a meditative posture for about an hour, Link found himself thinking about his father’s last moments. He knew he perished during the initial stages of the Calamity; Link’s father had been the captain of the royal guard and as such was part of the king’s personal guard. Link wondered what his father’s last thoughts were. If they’d been anything like the thoughts of the Hylian soldiers who’d perished at Akkala Citadel. He tried to dredge up a positive memory about his father.

Unfortunately, after hours of combing his flashes of memory, he came up with nothing positive about his father.

When Link’s stomach was on the verge of complaining very loudly about the lack of dinner and the sun was setting behind the citadel, Zelda stood and spread her arms wide.

“Goddess Hylia, protector of Hyrule since time immemorial,” Zelda began solemnly, “we thank you for the brave souls who gave their lives in this place to save their fellow Hyrulians. You blessed them with immeasurable bravery and we pray that they have found peace.”


	33. Tarrey Town

After bidding goodbye to Nell, who’d thanked Zelda profusely before heading home, they’d decided to ride down to the parade grounds and camp there for the night before continuing on to Tarrey Town in the morning. As they set up their tents, Link found himself mulling over Zelda’s journey after she’d had him sent to the Shrine of Resurrection.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the lives at Akkala Citadel could have been saved if Zelda had simply abandoned the master sword. After a while he decided things couldn’t be changed and there was probably a reason they happened the way they did. Abandoning the master sword would have caused considerable problems for the surviving Hylians and it was better she had interred it in Korok Forest.

 

The next morning the somber mood still hung over their party as they rode to Tarrey Town. When it finally came into sight, however, Link cast off his somber thoughts and allowed himself to be excited. He was friends with most everyone in the town and looked forward to seeing them again.

The quintet rode across the land bridge to the island town. As soon as they passed through the gate Link heard a friendly voice call his name.

“Link!” Hudson, the man who’d been assigned to Akkala by the Bolson Construction Company and had instigated the construction of Tarrey Town, called, jogging over to the travelers. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in so long I was worried I wouldn’t again!”

“You know you don’t need to worry about that, Hudson,” Link said. “I love Tarrey Town too much.”

Hudson helped Link, Zelda, and the others unload their horses. As Kanna, Koyin, and Garini headed behind the inn to set up the tents, Hudson turned to Zelda.

“You’re the princess, aren’t you?”

“Yes?” Zelda replied. “Are you the leader of this town?”

“You see, Princess,” Hudson said, scratching the back of his head, “we don’t exactly have a leader. We just coexist and solve our own problems. Everyone who’s here wants to be, so we don’t have many problems with each other.”

Zelda glanced at Link, who shrugged. He’d only ever heard of one complaint from one of the townspeople.

“I’m traveling Hyrule in an attempt to reunite the kingdom,” Zelda explained, turning back to Hudson. “We came here hoping to invite the town to join the new Hyrule.”

Hudson scratched his head again.

“You’re probably going to have to convince everyone individually. That’s how we work. I mean, this is the first decision we’ve had to make as a whole town, but how hard could convincing everyone be? Especially with Link here. Everyone loves him.”

 

Zelda decided their first step should be to speak with Kapson, the elderly Zora who ran the town’s inn.

“Your proposition is intriguing,” Princess,” Kapson said thoughtfully, his hands behind his back. “I would be more than willing to throw my lot in with the new kingdom. I remember your father and trust in your ability to rule.”

“Thank you, Kapson,” Zelda said, bowing to him. “Is there any advice you could give us about the others in town that could help us convince them?”

Kapson looked away for a moment while he thought. Link shuffled his feet, a little miffed she hadn’t asked him, seeing as he knew everyone in the town. He decided Kapson would surely have more knowledge, however, as the elderly Zora lived in Tarrey Town while Link just visited regularly.

“There’s a small Hylian family that lives in the house directly next to mine,” Kapson began. “Hagie is the father, Ruli, is the mother, and they have a young daughter named Hunnie. The three are originally from Hateno. The mother is a kind woman who loves her daughter more than anything. Hunnie is a demanding child who refuses to eat anything but cake. Hagie is a pretentious man who uses his money to assume some sort of power.

“The next house over houses a young Rito named Fyson who owns an arrow shop called the Slippery Falcon. He’s a kind young man who just wants to make his own way in the world.

“The house after that technically belongs to the two Goron brothers, Greyson and Pelison, but they don’t need a house so they rent to an elderly Hylian couple by the names of Moggs and Monari. Pelison owns a gem shop called Ore and More where he sells the ore they found while excavating the town. Greyson seems to be enjoying the quiet. The elderly couple roam the town all day enjoying their retirement. The wife, Monari, is an excellent cook, and Moggs takes care of their two dogs that live behind the house.

“On the other side of the Goron house where Hudson and his wife, a Gerudo tailor named Rhondson, live. She owns the Rhondson Armor Boutique where she sells Gerudo armor for men. They got married not too long after the town was finished and seem to be doing well.

“The last house is owned by a young Sheikah man named Granté. He collects Hylian armor and is apparently the son of a Sheikah researcher named Robbie and his wife. He’s a nice enough young man and keeps to himself.”

“Thank you, Kapson,” Zelda said, giving the elderly Zora another bow before leading Link out of the shop.

“Where do you think we should start?” Link asked as Zelda looked around the town, putting the names Kapson had given her to the faces she saw.

“Let’s talk to Granté first,” she said decisively. “I’m interested to see what his position on the matter will be.”


	34. Petitions

As they crossed over the entrance road to Granté’s house, Zelda mused, “I hope the other three can find things to occupy them.

“Koyin’s probably eating some of Monari’s cooking, Kanna’s probably checking out the Slippery Falcon, and I’d put rupees on it that we’ll find Garini where we’re going,” Link said, opening the door to the small house and ushering Zelda inside.

They found Granté on the upper balcony, and Link’s prediction turned out to be true. Garini was raining questions down on the young Sheikah man.

“How does the ancient oven work?” Garini was asking as Link and Zelda approached the two young men.

Granté looked around and had the most pitiful look of relief on his face when he saw Link.

“Link!” he cried, interrupting Garini. “It’s always a pleasure! How can I help you?”

“Princess Zelda would like to speak with you.”

Turning his attention to the princess, Granté promptly ignored Garini’s existence. While Zelda spoke with Granté, Link sat next to Garini, who didn’t seem insulted by the snub.

“Granté is the  _ son _ of Robbie, the famed Sheikah inventor!” Garini whispered excitedly to Link. “He knows so much about ancient technology! Do you think he’ll join the university too?”

“Probably not,” Link admitted. “He left the ancient tech lab because he’s interested in collecting armor. He’s not very interested in ancient technology. If that’s the focus of the university, he probably won’t be interested in joining.”

“That’s too bad,” Garini said. “I still have so many questions for him though! Are we going to visit Robbie while we’re in the area?”

“I’m not sure,” Link replied. “You’d have to ask Princess Zelda.”

Turning back to the conversation the princess was having, Link realized it was over. Zelda was looking at him, somewhat amused.

“Granté has given us his support,” she announced.

“Excellent,” Link said, standing. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Granté said, waving his hand dismissively. “With a reunited kingdom there’s a higher chance I’ll be able to track down armor for my collection.”

Link and Zelda bid both men goodbye and went back through the house and down to the street.

 

When they visited Hudson and Rhondson, the two were quick to agree to have Tarrey Town join the new kingdom. Zelda also commissioned Rhondson to make her a few new pairs of traveling socks, and when Rhondson asked if Zelda needed her traveling gear repaired, Zelda slipped into their house to change into her extra set of gear so Rhondson could repair her normal set.

Once Rhondson had been given Zelda’s regular gear, Link and Zelda headed to the next house over which belonged to the odd family of Goron brothers and elderly Hylians. Pelison and Greyson were easily convinced as well, and Link and Zelda decided to track down Moggs and Monari.

Before they did so, however, Link took Zelda by the hand and led her behind the house where they found Moggs and Monari’s Hylian Retrievers. Link sat down between the two of them and filled up on puppy kiss and pets while Zedla laughed at him.

“I guess this means we need to have a royal dog,” Zelda said as one of the dogs bowled Link over.

“Definitely,” Link said as the dog licked his face. “I can’t believe I never petted any of the dogs in Hyrule until this moment. I’ve been missing out.”

Link finally managed to pull himself away from the dogs and they set out to find Moggs and Monari. Moggs was standing at the goddess statue. Zelda introduced herself and complimented his dogs, after which Moggs pledged his loyalty. When they found Monari and Zelda gave her a long lost recipe straight from Hyrule Castle, Monari decided to support them as well.

At the Tarrey Town branch of the Slippery Falcon, they found Fyson, a young Rito who was excited to see Link.

“Link!” Fyson cried, shaking Link’s hand emphatically. “Have you returned to buy me out of my new stock?”

“Of course,” Link said with a smile. “The princess would like to speak with you while I examine your wares.”

Link listened absentmindedly to their conversation while he examined Fyson’s collection of arrows. Once Fyson had agreed to support them, Link bought out his stock.

“The next one’s going to be touch,” Link told Zelda once they’d stepped away from Fyson’s shop a bit. “Hagie is extremely pretentious and very rude.”

“Do you think it would help if we convinced his wife first?” Zelda asked, her voice hushed.

“No. They’re the type of family where Ruli would tell you to ask Hagie because he makes the decisions.”

Zelda sighed and shook her head.

“I suppose that is the world in which we live,” she said. “Only a woman in the royal family can have any autonomy, and even then, if there’s a king she’s supposed to submit to him.”

After a few moments of collecting her thoughts, Zelda straightened her posture and set her shoulders.

“I’m ready to speak with Hagie.

As Link led her to the man, he sent a desperate prayer to the Goddess Hylia that she was.

 

“ _ You’re  _ the princess that failed Hyrule?” Hagie sneered.

He was reclining on the ground between the houses of Fyson and the Gorons. His daughter Hunnie was playing in the grass next to him.

“Well,” he continued, “you certainly look the part of a pampered princess.”

“How could you know that?” Zelda asked calmly. “You’re not old enough to have known Hyrule before the Calamity, when there actually was a princess. Also, I would say protecting Hyrule from destruction for the past 100 years makes me a successful princess rather than a failed one.”

“I would like to point out that your job was to keep Calamity Ganon from causing destruction in the first place,” Hagie sniffed. “Which you failed to do. Therefore, you are a failure.”

“While I don’t share your view on the matter I suppose it could be argued that way. But you failed to respond to my remarks regarding your ‘pampered princess’ comment.”

“I know pampered when I see it.”

Zelda looked him over long enough and with such dignity that Link thought Hagie might shrink back.

“I do suppose it takes a pampered person to know a pampered person. Now, to the matter at hand. I don’t suppose you’ll support me in my mission to reunite Hyrule?”

“No, I won’t,” Hagie said, enraged.

“Not even after what my knight did for your daughter?” Zelda asked.

Hagie’s face turned red.

“You listen here, Princess,” he spat. “You don’t know what it’s been like for us, here in the real world while you kept a spirit pig in a balloon. Times have been tough for us regular Hylians.”

Link put his hand on the master sword, his entire body tensed.

Zelda held up her hand.

“There will be no need for violence, Link,” Zelda said quietly. “The majority of the town has agreed to join the new kingdom. Getting Hagie’s blessing was only a formality.”

“I will not live in a kingdom run by you!” Hagie roared, leaping to his feet. “You’re a pampered fruitcake who doesn’t know what the real world is like!”

“And as long as you think that, neither will you.”

 

Later, at their campfire, Zelda looked sad.

“What’s wrong, Princess?” Kanna asked.

“I feel sad for that man’s wife and daughter,” Zelda admitted, toying with her soup. “I shouldn’t have enraged him like I did. He’s probably the kind of man who will take it out on his family.”

“Not on my watch,” Link said quietly.

Zelda looked at him but didn’t ask what he meant.

“Well, it’s too late to do anything about it now,” Zelda said. “Now we need to rest and prepare to continue our journey. We will stay in Tarrey Town for a few days.”

With that, Zelda retreated into her tent.


	35. Link's Promise

That night, after his companions had retired, Link slipped out of his tent and went to the back patio of the house next door. From his adventure with Hunnie and her cake, he knew that Hagie and Ruli tended to argue right next to an open window at the end of Hunnie’s bed.

Link crouched below this window and waited.

It didn’t take long for Zelda’s worries to come to life.

“That little  _ princess _ will get what’s coming to her,” Hagie’s enraged voice came through the window. “I don’t care who she thinks she is or what she thinks she’s done for Hyrule, she. Is. Worthless.”

This made Link so angry the only thing he could see was red.

He wanted to storm through the window and wring Hagie’s neck.

He wanted to bust down the front door and threaten him with the master sword.

He wanted to take Ruli and Hunnie with them so they wouldn’t have to deal with this jerk.

He wanted to tear their house down and burn Hagie to ashes.

It took Link a few moments to calm down, but once he did he realized there was no more yelling.

Instead, he heard a crash and a woman’s cry.

Link raced around the house and threw the door open.

Hunnie was, somehow, fast asleep in her bed. Ruli was on the floor in the middle of broken shards of a pot. Hagie was standing over her and breathing heavily.

“What is going on here?” Link demanded icily, the slow sound of the master sword leaving its sheath the only sound in the room. In his fury, Link summoned the sword’s true power and it glowed blue.

“Who do you think you are?” Hagie demanded. “How dare you enter my house without my permission!”

Link slowly advanced towards Hagie. Knowing his size wouldn’t intimidate the larger man, Link went with unwavering confidence and disdain as his approach. As Link got closer, Hagie looked less sure of himself.

“Please, Link,” Ruli cried softly, picking herself up. “He’s just angry, and I’m alright. Please don’t do anything to hurt him.”

Link didn’t take his eyes off Hagie and backed him up against the wall.

“If you ever,” Link whispered, holding the master sword to Hagie’s throat and making his face a sickly blue, “hurt that woman again or touch that child with an unkind hand, I will know. I will know, and I will come for you.”

“How could you--” Hagie tried to sneer, but Link pressed the master sword against his throat.

“The Goddess Hylia tasked me with protecting all of Hyrule,” Link growled. “That doesn’t just mean against Calamity Ganon. It also means against wimps like you.”

This time, Hagie didn’t protest. He looked like he was going to wet himself. When Link stepped back and sheathed the master sword, Hagie bolted upstairs.

Turning to Ruli, Link helped her pick up the shards of the pot.

“If anything like this happens again, you let me know,” Link said softly. “You deserve to be treated better. Your daughter deserves to be raised by a man who respects women. If it’s about money, I will personally make sure you and your daughter are cared for financially if you need help.”

Ruli nodded, tears in her eyes. 

“He wasn’t like this before we got married.”

“I’m sorry,” Link said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Hopefully he can figure himself out and be the man he should be for his family.”

Ruli nodded and Link took the broken shards to dispose of them.


	36. Tarrey Town's Pledge

“Link!”

For a moment, he thought he was back in the Shrine of Resurrection and thrashed around in his blankets before he realized he was covered in blankets and not water, and this was his tent, not a Sheikah creation.

Link sat up in time to see Zelda pulling aside the flap of his tent.

“Good morning,” she said. “I brought you some breakfast.”

She handed him a fortified pumpkin and stepped back outside the tent so he could get dressed.

After pulling on his trousers and Champion’s tunic, Link picked up the pumpkin and went outside.

“What were you doing in Hagie’s house last night?”

Link sighed as he broke open the pumpkin.

“I thought I left after everyone was asleep.”

“I had to pray at the Goddess Statue,” Zelda explained.

The two friends sat cross-legged across from each other in front of Link’s tent.

“I listened outside the window to make sure Ruli and Hunnie were okay. When I heard Hagie freaking out I ran in to stop him.”

Zelda shook her head.

“I wish the world wasn’t like this. I’m glad you were there, or Ruli might have been seriously hurt. You really are the hero that Hyrule deserves.”

Link chuckled as he dug into his breakfast.

 

Later that morning Hudson called everyone to the center of town so the townspeople could present them with symbols of their pledges of loyalty in the form of charms Zelda could add to the bracelet the Head Stablemaster had given her.

Hudson and Rhondson presented Zelda not only with her completed clothing but also a charm that looked like a hammer crossed with a tailor’s scissors.

Granté presented Zelda with a charm that looked like the Hylian shield.

Kapson’s charm looked like the Goddess Statue.

Fyson gave Zelda a charm shaped like an arrow.

Greyson and Pelison gave Zelda a charm that looked like a chunk of diamond ore.

Moggs and Monari gave Zelda a charm that looked like their dogs.

Hagie stepped forward after everyone else, shoved a charm into Zelda’s hand, and slunk away from the crowd.

Link stepped forward and saw the charm looked like a monster cake.


	37. A Pilgrimage

Once they’d crossed the land bridge from Tarrey Town, Link asked Zelda if he could see the Sheikah slate for the day.

“Why?” Zelda asked as she handed it over.

“You’ll see,” he said, grinning, as he pulled up the rune only he could access, pointed it away from them, and activated it.

Garini lost his mind as the Master Cycle Zero finished materializing.

“This is the most beautiful example of ancient machinery I have ever seen!” he cried, running over it and beginning to examine it. “Why don’t you use this all the time?”

“Honestly I forgot about it,” Link admitted, digging around in one of his saddlebags for a handful of ancient parts. “But I figured it would be convenient. The three of you can head up to the ancient tech lab and we can go to the Spring of Power and be back within the day.”

“This is amazing,” Zelda said from where she’d joined Garini in his examination. “Why didn’t we know about this before?”

“I don’t know,” Link said. “I suppose I couldn’t get it until I actually did everything I needed to to prepare for Ganon.”

“You two had better head out if you’re going to meet us by this evening,” Kanna said, taking Link’s horse’s reins from him. “We’ll take care of all this stuff.”

Zelda grabbed her ceremonial dress and Koyin physically pulled Garini away from the Master Cycle Zero.

Link tossed the ancient parts into the engine and mounted the bike. Zelda carefully climbed on behind him, tucking her dress in between them so it wouldn’t fly away.

“See you guys at the Ancient Tech Lab.”

 

“That was amazing,” Zelda said breathlessly as they parked outside the Spring of Power.

“Wasn’t it?” Link said, smiling as they walked away from the Master Cycle and it dematerialized.

Zelda quickly slipped into her ceremonial dress as Link kept guard.

“Does this mean I can keep the Sheikah slate?” he teased as they made their way into the Spring of Power.

“No. But you can keep it until we meet up with the others.”

Link wanted desperately to take her hand, but he held himself back.


	38. The Goddess Statue - The Spring of Power

Zelda got chills as she entered the water and remembered the last time she’d stood before this particular Goddess Statue.

“Goddess,” she said, her hands clasped, “please. Give me your blessing to be the ruler of Hyrule. Please help me to be the ruler your people deserve.

“Help me convince Link he can be the ruler your people deserve.”

 

When Zelda had finished praying, this time there was no glowing or voice from the Goddess Statue, but she wasn’t terribly disappointed this time.

She turned back to Link and found him looking at her. She waded towards him and he pulled her up onto the platform he was standing on.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“I’m reliving the memory of the last time we were here,” he said. “When I told you how my mother died. I’d never told anyone else before. Before you, I never had a friend.”

Zelda’s heart wrenched at the look on Link’s face.

She reached up and gently put her fingertips on his cheek. He leaned into her hand, letting her entire palm rest on his face, and reached up to hold her hand against his face.

“You’re so soft,” he whispered, looking into her eyes.

“Only around you.”

Link let out a huff of amusement.

“I meant literally,” he said, running his thumb over her hand. “Your skin is so soft.”

“Oh.”

The look on his face was heartbreaking.

“Please don’t push me away,” Zelda breathed. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I love you.”

Zelda’s breath hitched.

“I want to be with you,” Link continued. “I don’t care about--about propriety or these cursed nightmares. I want you with me. I want to help you rule this kingdom and these people that I love.”

Zelda responded by throwing her arms around Link’s neck. He wrapped his around her waist and twirled her around in a circle.

In the distance, Zelda heard a laugh that sent a chill down her spine.


	39. The Defector

Instantly Link set Zelda down behind him and drew his sword, facing in the direction the laugh came from. He looked around the spring and couldn’t see who had laughed. Then he realized they were at the bottom of what was basically a pit and looked up.

A Yiga Clan warrior was standing on the edge of the cliff surrounding the spring.

“Hello there, hero!” they called. “Glad to see you’re keeping yourself entertained on your journey to reunite the kingdom!

Link didn’t allow himself to be confused about why they were talking to him. Usually they just attacked. Looking closer, he didn’t even think they had a weapon.

“What, not even a hello? I took the time to greet you and you can’t even offer me the same kindness in return?”

The Yiga Clan dove off the cliff, landing neatly in the water in front of Link.

“What do you want?” Link growled.

“To help you.”

Again, Link had to fight to keep from letting his guard down out of confusion.

“What are you talking about?” he demanded. “Your kind only want to kill us.”

“Not all of us,” the Yiga Clan warrior said. “Some of us want to return to our people. Claim normal lives.”

“For some reason I find that hard to believe,” Zelda said.

“I came here to ask you both to help my people,” they said. “Since Ganon’s defeat we have become divided once again. Some of my people have lost their sanity and are convinced that killing one or both of you will bring him back. Others, like me, want to cut our losses and return to the Sheikah clan.”

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Link demanded.

The tone of the warrior’s voice made him sure they were smirking.

“Here,” they said.

They pulled out a duplex bow, a vicious sickle, and a demon carver and placed them in the water. Where they entered the water it began to glow, and Link watched as the weapons were absorbed by the light that could only have been the Goddess Hylia’s.

Slowly, Link sheathed the master sword.

“I don’t want anything from the two of you right now,” the warrior said. “I just wanted you to know that we need your help. I’ll be in contact in the future, as you get closer to our hideout.”

“How will you keep the others from knowing you’ve spoken with us?” Zelda asked.

“Don’t worry about that, Princess. I’ll be alright.”

With a flash of cards, the Yiga Clan warrior was gone.


	40. Cherry

Zelda changed back into her traveling clothes and Link summoned the Master Cycle Zero once again.

“Can we continue what we started before the Yiga Clan warrior showed up?” she asked, laying her dress across the seat of the bike.

“What did we start?” Link asked with a smirk.

“Well I believe you were spinning me in a circle. What was your next move?”

Link stepped over to Zelda and placed his hands on her arms.

“I was hoping to get the chance to kiss you again.”

Zelda smiled and his heart was full.

“Be my guest.”

By the time the two broke apart, Zelda’s ceremonial dress was on the ground because the Master Cycle dematerialized.

 

Link and Zelda pulled up outside of the remodeled lighthouse that was now the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. Link was glad to see the guardian guarding the lab had deactivated, making their trip up the hill much easier than his had been when he’d first come. They were also pleased to see their friends had set up their tents for them.

“Zelda!” Robbie’s voice cried as they pushed open the door to the tech lab, and before Link knew it Zelda was being hugged furiously.

Taking it in stride, Zelda hugged Robbie back.

“Robbie! You look great.”

“Why thank you, Princess,” Robbie said, stepping away from her. “I am glad to be able to have lived to see this day!”

“Hello, Princess,” a Sheikah woman said, stepping forward. “I’m Jerrin, Robbie’s wife. It’s a pleasure to have you here.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here, Jerrin.”

“What can we do for you Princess?” Robbie asked. “Your friends have been the kindest guests we’ve ever had.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Zelda replied. “I’d like to invite you to come and be a member of the university I plan to start.”

Robbie looked like he was about to faint.

“A university?!” he cried. “I’d be honored! The prestige! The knowledge! The potential! We would love to!”

“Excellent. Now, please explain this beautiful piece of machinery to me,” Zelda said, gesturing to Cherry, the altered guidance stone.

Robbie was more than happy to oblige.

 

The next morning, when Link couldn’t find Zelda in her tent, he took her a cup of hot herb tea in the research lab.

She was examining the ancient oven when he pressed the cup into her hands. Glancing at him, she gave him a small smile before turning back to the machine and taking a sip from the cup.

“Did you utilize Robbie’s invention in your travels?” she asked.

“Yes,” Link said. “This is where I got my ancient armor that makes me look like a shrine.”

Giggling, Zelda took another sip of her tea.

“What else does it have to offer?”

“Weapons, mostly. A bow, some swords, and ancient arrows that were very effective against the guardians.”

“Interesting,” Zelda murmured. “I could stay here forever.”

After a moment, Zelda sighed and turned away.

“But I can’t,” she said, downing the rest of her tea. “We must be off. Can you craft enough fireproof elixirs for the group? Goron City is our next destination.”

“Of course, Princess,” he said, taking the cup from her and following her out the door.


	41. The Boss

While Link was crafting the fireproof elixirs for the entire group to survive in Goron City, he and Zelda decided not to tell their companions about the Yiga Clan warrior just yet. They figured the best thing to do was wait for more information.

They arrived at Foothill Stable within a few days and stabled their horses before making their way up Death Mountain. Link was pleased to find the guardians on the road to Goron City had also deactivated after Ganon’s defeat, making their walk to the city a relatively uneventful one.

Yunobo, the descendant of the Goron Champion Daruk, met them at the gate to the town.

“Link!” Yunobo bellowed, grinning hugely. “I’m glad to see you again! That bit with the Boss’s cannons was pretty epic, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Link said, grinning himself.

Yunobo glanced over their group and his eyes fell on Zelda.

“Princess!” Yunobo squawked. “The princess of Hyrule is here! You have to come see the Boss; he’ll be glad to see you.”

“Lead the way,” Zelda said.

The travelers assembled into their formation as Zelda followed Yunobo to the Boss’s house.

When they arrived, Bludo was waiting for them.

“Princess!” he called. “I was expecting you. Dorephan sent a runner to the rest of us leaders letting us know you were on your way.”

“That was kind of him. How is Goron City doing?”

“We weren’t doing too well until Link here came along and helped us with our problem with the Divine Beast,” Bludo rumbled. “Since you two defeated Ganon Rudania has been calmly perched on the top of Death Mountain.”

“Has it malfunctioned at all?”

“Not a peep. It’s as quiet as a sleeping Goron.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“What can I do for you and your crew, Princess?” Bludo asked, scratching his beard.

“I’m accompanied by Kanna of Kakariko, Koyin of Hateno, and Garini of Lurelin. I also have tokens from the Head Stablemaster and the citizens of Tarrey Town,” Zelda said, gesturing to her bracelet. “We have come to ask Goron City to be a part of the new, reunited Hyrule and help us rebuild.”

Bludo considered Zelda for a long time, rubbing his beard thoughtfully while he ran his eyes over each of the ambassadors, Link, Zelda herself, and the bracelet. Link was reminded of the evening he spent soaking the wooden bracelet in fireproof elixir for hours until he was absolutely certain it would withstand the heat.

“Goron City would be happy to rejoin a reunited Hyrule under your rule, Princess,” Bludo said finally. “But there are some conditions. First, I am growing old. I would like your assistance in choosing a suitable candidate to be Assistant Boss. Additionally, there is the issue of your marriage. Have you found a suitable partner to help you lead?”

Zelda glanced at Link.

“I am in the process of courting a more than suitable candidate who will be revealed once our relationship is firmly established.”

A low grumble came from deep within Bludo’s throat.

“Don’t wait too long, Princess. If you wish to reestablish Hyrule as a kingdom you will need a royal family.”

Zelda nodded.

“Now, as for my problem with determining who should be Assistant Boss. I’ve been forced to admit I’m growing older. Almost old enough to retire. And there are several Gorons who would be ideal candidates to take over for me, once I’ve trained them up of course. I’d greatly appreciate it if you could narrow down all of my choices to the two best candidates. If I were you I’d also look for someone you’d be able to work well with, as I will retire as soon as I get the new person trained up suitably.”

“I would be honored to assist in your search.”

“Excellent. The of you can stay in our inn, we added more beds in expectation of your arrival, and tomorrow morning you can begin to mingle with the Gorons.”

 

That evening, the Gorons held a feast for the Hylian travelers. Link filled up on rock roast, which he hadn’t been able to enjoy since before the Calamity, and even though the others gave him strange looks they didn’t comment.

After the feast the five travelers were glad to retire to the inn and sleep on real beds. As they were unpacking, a Hylian runner entered the inn and walked up to them.

“I’m looking for Kanna Kakariko,” they said.

“I’m Kanna.”

The Hylian handed her a letter, bowed, and left.

“Were you expecting a message?” Link asked, passively curious.

Instead of answering, Kanna blushed and busied herself with unpacking her bag. This got Koyin interested.

“Who’s it from?” she demanded.

“A friend,” Kanna mumbled, stuffing the letter into her shirt.

“Come on, Kanna,” Link whined teasingly. “Tell us!”

“It’s from Mubs,” Kanna mumbled.

“I didn’t realize you two had gotten so close,” Garini commented as he pulled a book he’d borrowed from Robbie out of his pack and threw himself onto his bed. “You were only in Lurelin for two days.”

“Yeah, funny how things happen.”

Link shoved his pack under his bed, but before he could lay down Zelda walked over and put her hand on his arm.

“Would you go to the Goddess Statue with me?”

“Of course,” he said, equipping the master sword and following Zelda out of the inn.


	42. The Goddess Statue - Goron City

The lava in Goron City was even more entrancing at night. They walked to the Goddess Statue in silence, enjoying the night and each others’ company.

When they arrived, Link stood watch at a discreet distance while Zelda knelt before the statue and placed her offering of a silent princess on its pedestal. She looked up at the little crown the Gorons had put on the statue and, despite her recent success with hearing Goddess Hylia, remembered her failures.

 

_ She was seven, and at the Goddess Statue in the castle courtyard. She had just been given the ceremonial dress and her father had just told her the only thing of importance was her learning how to use the power her mother had had. _

_ The Goddess didn’t speak. _

 

_ She was ten, and Lady Urbosa of the Gerudo accompanied her to the Spring of Courage. She prayed so hard she passed out in the freezing waters, her new ceremonial dress little help against the cold. Urbosa had to pull her out. _

_ The Goddess didn’t speak. _

 

_ She was sixteen, and her knight had accompanied her to the Spring of Power. She’d already tried all of the Goddess Statues in Hyrule. This was almost her last hope. She yelled at the Goddess for not acknowledging how hard she’d been trying. _

_ The Goddess didn’t speak, and Link comforted her. _

 

_ She was seventeen, and the Spring of Wisdom was her last hope. The princess of legend had borne the Triforce of Wisdom, so she allowed herself to be hopeful. Link kept watch, as always. She wore her ceremonial dress, as always. _

_ The Goddess didn’t speak, and the Calamity arrived. _

 

Fighting back the tears, Zelda almost punched the statue. Even though she had finally been able to hear the Goddess, she wanted to rip off its crown and throw it in the lava for what she’d put Hyrule through. She wanted to rip the statue from the ground and smash it against the metal path.

The Goddess wasn’t there for Hyrule when it desperately needed her.

The Goddess wasn’t there for Zelda when she desperately needed her.

Zelda angrily wiped away the tears and this time, instead of bowing her head, she looked up at the stars and held out her hands as though she were holding a bundle of wood.

“Goddess Hylia,” she murmured, “please help me to be the ruler Hyrule deserves. Help Link and I to be good together. Please don’t abandon me again.”

_ “Never.” _


	43. Interviews with Gorons

The next morning over breakfast, Garini was still reading his book, Koyin was making plans to go sightseeing, Kanna was writing a response to her letter, and Zelda and Link were debating about how best to speak with each eligible Goron.

“The way I see it, we have several people to speak with,” Link said, digging into his mushroom risotto. “Rohan is the Goron blacksmith and would make a good candidate. His apprentice, Fugo, would as well. Aji runs the protein palace and has a good business sense. Bladon and Gonguron are brothers, both of whom are extremely dedicated. If we want to travel all the way to the Southern Mine, Dorill is the head of Goron Group Mining Company, so he’d be an excellent candidate. Additionally there’s a Goron child named Axyl that has potential.”

“What about Yunobo?” Koyin asked.

“Yes, of course,” Link said. “He has the benefit of being Daruk’s descendant, so you could say it’s in his blood.”

Zelda hummed thoughtfully as she consumed her mushroom skewer.

“What about Axyl makes you think he’s a good candidate?” she asked finally.

Link shrugged as he took another bite.

“He’s a bright kid. He’s interested in mining as well as tourism and wants to be the best.”

“There would be no harm in speaking with him,” Zelda said. “Although recruiting a child to be next in line to lead the Gorons goes against my better nature. Children should be allowed to be children.”

No one responded to this.

“I suppose it would be best to start with the blacksmith and his apprentice,” Zelda said as she threw her empty skewer into the fire. “They’re the closest.”

Link hurried to scrape his bowl clean as Zelda stood. She watched him scarf down his remaining food, an amused smile on her face. He cleaned the bowl swiftly before standing to follow her.

 

“What can I do for you, tiny princess?” Rohan asked.

It was all Link could do to keep from reacting. He had a feeling this conversation wouldn’t last long. They were standing outside Rohan’s blacksmith shop and the heat, while already intense from the volcano, was even worse.

“I was wondering if you would be willing to assist me with the task Bludo has set before me,” Zelda said diplomatically. “I know you’re more knowledgeable about the eligible Gorons than I could ever be in the short time we have.”

Rohan stopped hammering for a moment, tilted his head, and then resumed his work.

“I can’t help you, tiny princess,” he grumbled. “The Boss gave this task to you, not to me. Doesn’t matter to me who’s in charge as long as I can do my work the way I want.”

“Thank you for your time.”

As they exited the blacksmith shop, Link caught the slight sound of Zelda sighing. He glanced at her but she shook her head.

“We can talk later. Is that Fugo?”

She gestured to the Goron who was walking around outside the blacksmith shop. Link nodded, and they approached him.

“Mr. Fugo?”

The Goron spun around at Zelda’s voice, surprised, Link assumed, because she’d called him “Mr.”

“Princess. How can I help you?” Fugo asked once he’d collected himself.

“I was wondering if you could help me with the task Bludo gave me. Do you have any opinion about who should succeed Bludo as Boss?”

Fugo scratched his chin as he thought about this.

“Well it definitely shouldn’t be me,” Fugo said finally. “I’d say maybe either Bladon or Dorill? Bladon really cares about the Gorons and Dorill has experience leading.”

“Thank you, Fugo.”

As they walked away towards the Protein Palace, Zelda pulled out the Sheikah slate and took some notes. Link had forgotten it had this function; he hadn’t had use of it in so long he was surprised he’d remembered the Master Cycle when he had. He wondered what she was writing and amused himself with thinking she was writing a scathing summary of their conversation with Rohan and the information Fugo had given them about Bladon and Dorill.

Aji was cooking a fresh batch of roasted bass when they approached. Link’s stomach growled in spite of the fact he’d just eaten breakfast. Zelda chuckled under her breath and ordered him two bass to snack on while they walked around.

“How can I help you while your order cooks, Princess?” Aji asked jovially.

“I was wondering if you could give me some insight on who you think would be the best Goron to take the job of Boss.”

Aji scratched the back of his head and stared off into the distance.

“There’s that kid that hangs around the Southern Mine. He’s real interested in how Goron City operates, what the Boss does, how Dorill helps, all of that. His name is kind of like mine… Ajax? Allen? No, Axyl. Axyl is his name. He’s the right age too; he’ll be growing up right soon. On the verge of his big growth spurt if I’m remembering correctly.”

“What about him makes you think he’d be a good candidate for leadership?”

The Goron considered this as he pulled Link’s bass off the stone slab they were cooking on and handed them to Link. He tucked one in his pouch, broke open the other, and dug into its crispy flesh.

“He’s young, so he’d lead for a long time. He’s interested in all the right things. Yeah he spends most of his time rolling around but he’s a kid. And like I said, he’s old enough to begin training under the Boss.”

“Thank you, Aji,” Zelda said, writing down notes on the Sheikah slate before Aji had even finished speaking.

“Who do we have left?” she asked once they’d stepped away from the Protein Palace and she’d put the Sheikah slate back on her hip.

“Bladon and Gonguron,” Link said through a mouthful of fish.

“Lead the way.”

 

Bladon and Gonguron lived almost right next to Protein Palace, so the walk was a short one. When they stepped inside, they found Bladon cheerfully watching Gonguron mine through the wall of their home.

“Princess!” Bladon exclaimed. “What can we do for you?”

“I was wondering if I could have your help, Bladon,” Zelda said.

“Of course! Please, sit, sit.”

He gestured to a chair and Zelda sat. Link was content to sit cross-legged on the ground next to her and finish his bass.

“I was hoping you could help me with the task Bludo set me,” Zelda said. “Whom would you recommend to be the next Boss?”

Bladon glanced at Gonguron, who continued chipping away happily.

“Yunobo has changed considerably since he assisted Link with subduing Divine Beast Rudania. He’s much braver now and has taken on a lot more responsibility.”

“Thank you, Bladon,” Zelda said, jotting down a couple of things on the Sheikah slate.

They stayed and chatted for a bit, and by the time Link had finished his second bass Zelda was ready to move on to the Southern Mine.

 

“What do you think, Link?” Zelda asked once they were out of earshot of the Goron City guard.

“I think Rohan is out because he’s rude and you wouldn’t work well with him,” Link said. “I know Daruk called you tiny princess, but Rohan said it so… condescendingly. Fugo is out because he’s in training to be a blacksmith, but otherwise I’d say right now he’s the best option. He’s humble and good at dedicating tasks. As for Aji, I don’t think he’d make a good leader but he’s an excellent chef. Bladon is a good choice but seeing as he was allowing his brother to mine their house he probably wouldn’t end up being an effective leader. I have a feeling you had a reason for not asking Gonguron what he thought?”

“As soon as I saw him mining I knew I wanted to request he be on the team of Gorons who excavate the castle,” Zelda explained.

“I thought as much. As for Dorill and Axyl, I don’t think Dorill would be a good choice. If you chose him he’d have to find a replacement for his job. I haven’t had a long conversation with him, though, so maybe we’ll be surprised.”

“What about Axyl?”

“I haven’t had a long conversation with him either. You’ll have to work your princess-y charm on him and get him to open up.”

Zelda chuckled.

“Princess-y charm?”

Link nodded and reached out to grab her hand. She threaded her fingers with his.

“You’re courting me, eh?”

“Yes,” Zelda said, playfully bumping his shoulder with hers. “The reason it isn’t the other way around is because I’m more than capable of ruling without you and convincing all of Hyrule that I can, but I want to be with you.”

Link felt his face turn red.

“At what point in our relationship can we be deemed ‘fully established’?”

“I was thinking when you stop having nightmares,” Zelda said quietly. “And both of us believe that this is right. Completely.”

The young Hylian warrior winced.

“I love you,” he said.

Zelda stopped them and put her free hand on his cheek.

“I know,” she said gently. “I love you too. My point still stands, however. I don’t want you to have any doubts. If we get married and it turns out you’d rather be a farmer or a nomad, you’ll resent me forever.”

Link turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand. He couldn’t deny her point.


	44. Zelda's Decision and Link's Dilemma

That evening, after a conversation with Axyl in which he showed a vague interest in being the next Boss, Link and Zelda found themselves dining alone. Kanna had gone to the Northern Mine to learn some fighting styles from one of the guards and was asleep by the time they returned, Koyin had run herself off her feet sightseeing and was also asleep, and Garini had devoured three of Robbie’s books and was in his bed taking extensive notes.

“Whom do you think you’ll recommend?” Link asked in hushed tones. The Gorons who lived around them had gone to bed, but he still didn’t want to be overheard.

“I’m leaning towards Yunobo and Axyl,” Zelda said softly. “Yunobo has potential, and Axyl is young.”

“I hope that’s not the only reasoning you’ll give Bludo in the morning,” Link said.

“Of course not,” Zelda replied. “I’ll spend some time coming up with an eloquent presentation of my reasoning.”

“I know you will.”

 

That night, Link lay awake thinking about what Zelda had said. The nightmares had abated considerably; they were no longer every night. In fact he hadn’t had one since they visited the Shrine of Power. However, he was still living in fear of the nightmare coming back, meaning of course that the whole concept was weighing on his mind every day. 

He decided that talking to the people in his nightmares might work. Maybe if he confronted Zelda before the dream wedding or confronted his father he’d feel better and the dreams would stop.

As quietly as he could, he sat up on his bed, crossed his legs, straightened his back, and rested his hands on his knees. He closed his eyes and took deep belly breaths; filling his lungs completely, holding it for a few seconds, and then letting it out slowly through his nose. Soon he was calmer than he’d felt in ages. He allowed his mind to wander, and before he knew it he was in his childhood home with his father.

 

_ His father was sitting at the dining table, a goblet in one hand and the other hand a fist resting on his knee. He’d already consumed a bottle of liquor in “celebration” of Link being appointed Zelda’s knight. Link hadn’t been living in this house full time for years, not since his mother had died, but he’d come all the same to gather some of the possessions that had never made their way to his room at the castle. He didn’t plan on returning. _

_ “I’m real proud of you, son,” his father slurred, downing another glass.  _

_ A flicker of hope dared to stir in Link’s chest as he packed, but his father’s next words snuffed it out. _

_ “But just because you’re the best swordsman in Hyrule doesn’t mean you can make mistakes!” _

_ “What kind of mistake could I possibly make?” Link found himself saying. _

_ “Falling in love with Princess Zelda.” _

_ Link shook his head. _

_ “I’m failing to see how that could be a mistake.” _

_ His father growled as he poured himself another drink. _

_ “Of course it would be a mistake, you fool. Just because we’re members of the royal guard doesn’t mean we have any business fraternizing with the royal family on a personal level. We are there to protect them, not be personally involved in their lives.” _

_ Link thought about how vulnerable Zelda had been when he’d stumbled across her praying and thought his father was an idiot. If he could help Zelda deal with all the crap she was being put through he was more than willing to. Propriety wasn’t worth it. _

_ “I can tell by the look on your face you’re planning to disobey me, boy,” his father sneered. “When you get yourself exiled don’t come crying to me.” _

_ “I doubt I would be exiled for simply becoming friends with the princess,” Link replied. “It would surprise me if she’s ever had a friend her own age.” _

_ “It’s none of your business whether she does or not!” his father roared. “You stay out of that girl’s business, you hear? You will be there to protect her. Nothing else! You hear me?” _

_ “I hear you,” Link said calmly. “But I won’t listen. If the princess needs a friend I will be there for her. I refuse to be a cold companion, simply tailing her because that’s why I get paid. I will protect her with my life but I will also listen to her and treat her like a human being, not just like a princess.” _

_ His father stood and advanced on him. Link squared his shoulders, ready to be hit. He didn’t even think to raise the master sword to defend himself. _

_ His father raised his hand as though to slap Link across the face, but before he could someone knocked on the door. The expression on his face told Link his father was still seriously considering smacking him, but finally decided propriety was more important and went to answer the door. _

_ “Good afternoon,” Zelda’s musical voice floated through the doorway.  _

_ It was this more than anything that made Link want to reach for the master sword. He knew in his head his father would never strike the princess, but he already felt protective of her. He’d never raise a hand against his father to save himself, but Zelda was another thing entirely. _

_ “Princess,” his father said, falling into a kneeling position. “It is an honor to have you in our humble home.” _

_ Zelda’s eyes swept over the table littered with bottles and found Link. _

_ “I came to collect Link,” she said. “Have you finished packing?” _

_ “Yes, Princess,” Link said, picking up his bag. _

_ As he followed Zelda out the door, he heard his father mutter something to him from where he was kneeling. _

_ “Don’t screw this up, boy.” _

 

Link was determined not to.


	45. The Gorons' Gift

The next morning, the entire city gathered to hear Zelda’s decision. She stood on the bridge below Bludo’s house with Link on her right and Kanna, Koyin, and Garini on her left. All of the Gorons were gathered around Bludo, including the ones from the Southern Mine.

“Well, Princess,” Bludo grumbled. “Who have you come up with?”

“I have decided the two best candidates to be Assistant Boss of the Gorons are Yunobo and Axyl. Yunobo because he has proven himself to be quite brave by helping Link calm Divine Beast Vah Rudania as well as having proven himself to be a worthy leader to his people. Axyl is an excellent candidate because of his youth and his desire to better the Goron race by improving trade and relations with the rest of Hyrule.”

Bludo scratched his beard in thought for so long Link thought he was going to tell Zelda to try again. Finally, however, he spoke.

“Thank you for your input on this matter, Princess Zelda. I will send word regarding who will succeed me once both candidates have undergone the trial required to be Goron Boss.

“As such, Goron City is grateful to you in assisting us with this matter and we look forward to your rule. To show all of Hyrule the support of the Gorons is on your side, we would like to present you with this.”

From behind him Bludo produced something that made Zelda gasp.

“Bludo!” she cried. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes, Princess,” Bludo said. “The Goron ambassador managed to rescue this from the ruins of Hyrule Castle before the treasure hunters found it. This is the Hyrulian Diadem, meant to be worn by the crown queen of the realm. Once we got word of your quest we had it modified.”

Looking closer to the small accessory in Bludo’s hand, Link noticed in addition to the diamond in the center of the diadem were slots for four more gems.

“The Gorons would like to present you with this amber,” Bludo continued, gesturing to Yunobo who produced an amber that was cut to fit within the diadem.

While Yunobo added it to the crown, Bludo said, “May it offer you protection on your journey.”

“Thank you,” Zelda said, accepting the diadem from Yunobo. “Thank you so much. There are no words for how much this means to me.”

“The pleasure is ours, Princess,” Bludo said, bowing to Zelda. “We will also send Bladon, Gonguron, and Jengo to accompany you as far as Hyrule Castle so they can begin the excavation immediately.”


	46. Renovations

It took Zelda, her entourage, and the group of Goron constructors a little over a day to reach Hyrule Castle. They stopped at the ruined fountain in the middle of the charred remnants of Castle Town, and the hollow castle loomed over them.

Zelda sighed as they gazed at it.

“This used to be the crown jewel of Hyrule,” she said, shaking her head.

“It will be so again!” Gonguron declared. “Just wait and see, Princess!”

“I admire your positivity,” Zelda said with a small smile as she turned to the Goron. “I have every faith in your abilities as a group.”

“Do you have any requests, Princess?” Jengo rumbled. “Would you like to see it restored to its previous state or are there changes you’d like made?”

Zelda considered this, running her eyes over the ruined remains of the town she’d frequented as a child with her mother, the walls the soldiers had let her climb so she could see all of Hyrule. Or so she thought, when she was younger.

“If you would, focus your attention first on excavating the rooms that were blocked off by cave-ins,” Zelda began. “After that, repair the walls of and around the castle, as well as the walls of Castle Town if you have the materials. If you find anything of interest, please keep it safe until our return. As for the rebuilding of Castle Town itself, when we reached Foothill Stable I sent a runner to Hateno to enlist the help of the Bolson Construction Company, who will rebuild the houses in Castle Town. My desire for this project is for what was there previously to be restored. You have my permission to remove anything that cannot be saved.”

“Yes, Princess,” Jengo said, inclining his head to her before leading his crew up the road to the castle.

“It’s going to be lovely again before long,” Koyin commented.

Link couldn’t tell whether she was trying to be encouraging or not.

“Yes,” Zelda replied. “It will be a symbol of our new kingdom. May it be a bright one.”


	47. Great Hyrule Forest

As they began to set out for Rito Village, Link remembered something.

“Princess?” he said as they mounted their horses.

“Yes?”

“We need to go to Great Hyrule Forest.”

“What’s in Great Hyrule Forest?” Garini asked eagerly.

“The Great Deku Tree,” Kanna, to everyone’s surprise, replied. “The Deku Tree has been in Hyrule since before recorded history.”

“There’s also a Goddess Statue there,” Link added.

“Of course there is,” Zelda said. “I suppose I also need the Great Deku Tree’s blessing to lead as well.”

“So it’s… a talking tree?” Koyin asked.

“Yes,” Link said.

“It’s also the place where the master sword resides when there isn’t a hero to wield it,” Garini said.

All of them looked at him.

“I thought you didn’t know what was there?” Koyin demanded.

“Well I knew the bit about the master sword!” Garini replied, straightening in his saddle. “But since Link has it in his possession I knew it wasn’t there now! And I thought it’d be a fun fact for you.”

Koyin humphed and Zelda and Link made eye contact, both of them amused.

 

They followed the road to Great Hyrule Forest until it ended, where they found the ruined entrance to the Lost Woods. They left their horses in the clearing and packed only the supplies they absolutely needed as they weren’t hoping to stay long.

“How do we navigate through the Lost Woods?” Koyin asked as they entered the mist filled forest. “It’s called ‘Lost’ for a reason.”

Link gestured to the trail of torches they could see well into the distance, the chuckles of the koroks ringing in his ears. He wondered if anyone else could hear them.

“We follow the ashes.”

 

At the end of the trail of stationary torches they found two set up next to each other. Link explained that to carry on they needed to use their own torches, so he and Koyin each took a torch and led the others the rest of the way, stopping every so often to make sure they were still going in the right direction.

Finally, they found the giant log that showed them they were at the entrance to Korok Forest. Link and Koyin extinguished their torches and as they walked through the log the air around them cleared. Suddenly everything was bright and green, and Link began to see glimpses of Koroks peeking out to watch them.

As they approached the Great Deku Tree, Link’s eyes found the pedestal where Zelda had placed the master sword and suddenly he was young again.

 

_ At the age of 15, Link defeated the Stalnox deep within Hyrule Castle’s dungeon and became the youngest member of the royal guard in recorded history. This, combined with his power, made people in power notice him even more. Whispers started spreading about the wielder of the sword that seals the darkness. Wondering if it could be him. The prophecy and the king’s excavations were making the people anxious to know who the new hero would be. _

_ After gaining the king’s favor, Link’s father put together a group of soldiers and escorted Link to the entrance of the Lost Woods. Where they left him. _

_ Link looked at the entrance to the Woods and took a deep breath. His hands were trembling, but he didn’t speak, not even to encourage himself. He would bear this burden too, just like the rest of them. He walked into the Lost Woods. _

_ The eerie laughter that rang in his ears chilled him to the bone as he got lost over and over, losing track of how many times he was engulfed in mist and found himself at the entrance once again. The heart of the young boy was beginning to grow more afraid than he’d ever been in his life; he could hardly keep himself from trembling all over. He hadn’t been allowed any weapons, and a sword in his hand had always made him feel more sure of himself. _

_ Then the heart of the hero awakened. _

_ Link began to notice a pattern every time he walked through the woods. There were torches set up strategically, and he had followed them to their end and then tried to guess the rest of the way. As he followed them again, he realized he could see their ashes floating through the thick mist, pointing to the next torch until the two at the end. _

_ He decided to improvise. _

_ He found an armful of tree branches and carried the bundle under one arm while using one as a torch. Using these branches, igniting one as the one before it went out, Link finally managed to make it through the woods. _

_ He emerged into a forest of green, and suddenly he saw the creatures doing the laughing. They were little wooden sprites of some kind; definitely not fairies. Link had seen pictures of fairies. These little creatures had faces that were leaves. _

_ The young almost-hero made his way through the green forest, following the path he had no way of knowing he’d walked many times and lives before. _

_ As he made his way, Link remembered the legend of the master sword and how the previous hero had left it with a tree for safekeeping until the next hero needed it. Link had always thought these stories to be fake; who would leave such an important sword with a tree? But his father must have believed these legends; otherwise he never would have left his son like this. _

_ Pushing away the heart-wrenching memories of his drunken father complaining about how Link looked just like his dead mother, Link forged on through the forest, praying that whatever he found would help him. _

_ Emerging into an open clearing, the first thing Link saw was a massive tree that could only have existed for thousands of years, if not millions. _

_ The second thing Link saw was the master sword and he couldn’t help but think his father was right. _

_ He also knew he no longer had a choice in where his life would go. _

_ Link stepped up to the pedestal in which the master sword was placed. He heard a humming from it, as though it had missed him, and he was filled with an almost overwhelming sense of longing. He wondered if his father missed him. _

_ It occurred to Link that if he was the one who wielded the master sword, maybe his father would forgive him. Maybe his father would finally see everything Link had been doing to earn his love and maybe he would finally love him. _

_ Link reached out and-- _

_ “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice from above him said. _

_ Link jumped back, startled. He looked up and saw a face in the massive tree. A face that was talking to him. _

_ Suddenly, Link was angry. _

_ “Why not?” he demanded. “It belongs to me! Who are you to tell me I can’t take what’s mine?” _

_ “I am the Great Deku Tree,” the tree said. “I have guarded this sword again and again for more years than your history can count. It may belong to you, but you cannot claim it for the wrong reasons. The sword won’t allow it.” _

_ Link looked down at the iridescent purple hilt of the legendary sword and felt its humming deep in his chest. He felt what the sword meant to the people of Hyrule, to his father. _

_ The young boy fell backwards into a sitting position and buried his face in his hands. _

_ “What’s wrong, little hero?” the Deku Tree asked. _

_ “I think you know,” Link growled, angrily wiping tears away with the palms of his hands. _

_ “Young Link,” the Great Deku Tree said, “the death of your mother was your father’s fault.” _

_ Link froze. In all of Link’s musings about why his father didn’t love him, it all came back to how Link had gotten his mother killed because he wasn’t a good enough soldier. He’d always thought of his father as perfect, untainted. Blameless. _

_Unconvinced that the tree’s version of events was more accurate than his own, Link demanded, “Why do you say that?”_ _  
__“I have watched over Hyrule since before history began,” the Great Deku Tree said. “I keep an especially close eye on the princess with the blood of the Goddess and the hero destined to wield the sword that seals the darkness. I have been watching you and your family since the day of your birth. The death of your mother was your father’s fault.”_

_ “How?” Link demanded, getting to his feet. “What did my father do wrong?” _

_ “Young hero, your father was with another woman when you and your mother left to return to Hyrule Castle.” _

_ Link almost fell to the ground again but managed to keep his posture. He’d heard whispers of another woman as a child, but he’d never known what that meant. He’d heard his mother and father arguing occasionally, but they never did it where he could hear what they were saying and always stopped when he walked in. _

_ “Your father should have gone with you,” the Great Deku Tree continued. “He had heard the reports of monsters growing in strength and attacking people on well-traveled roads. He knew the two of you were walking straight into danger. But he sent you on ahead so he could find pleasure in someone other than your mother.” _

_ The pedestal Link’s father had always been on in his mind was crumbling before him. He had no idea why he believed the Deku Tree so implicitly, but he found himself unable to refuse. The story simply made too much sense. _

_ Link felt drained. The master sword’s humming was no longer comforting; it felt like the sword was pounding heavily against his bruised heart. He didn’t know if he wanted it anymore. _

_ Slowly, the pounding of the sword’s hum eased into something more akin to a song. An old, old song, like nothing Link had ever heard played before. Something that was extremely unfamiliar to him but simultaneously felt like home. Tentatively, Link reached out to the sword. _

_ He thought about the king’s excavations of the technology from 10,000 years ago. How the princess was rarely seen in public before because she was so busy praying at Goddess Statues. How everyone whispered about the weapon that would save them being lost forever. _

_ As Link’s hand landed on the handle of the oldest weapon in Hyrule, the blade glowed blue and he felt more confident than he ever had before. _

_ “I need this sword not for me,” Link said quietly, more to himself than to the Deku Tree, “but for Hyrule.” _

_ He took a deep breath and pulled. _

 

The Great Deku Tree’s voice pulled Link out of his memory.

“Welcome.”

Looking around, Link saw that Koyin, Kanna, and Garini were staring at the giant tree, jaws agape. Because of this he reasoned they couldn’t see the koroks that were dancing around them. He wondered if Zelda could see them.

“Great Deku Tree,” Zelda said, kneeling before the master sword’s pedestal. Link knelt on her right side and their three companions took their places on her left. “We have come to ask a favor of you.”

“Ask away.”

“I would like to request your support me in my rule of Hyrule.”

The Great Deku Tree laughed.

“Princess Zelda, you are the only person in Hyrule capable of reuniting the people and setting in motion the restoration of Hyrule. I would support no one else.”

“Thank you,” Zelda said with a bow.

“What else do you require of this place?”

“I need to pray at your Goddess Statue.”

“Of course,” the Great Deku Tree said. “You will find it within me.”

Zelda glanced at Link and he gave her a nod of encouragement.

With a deep breath, Zelda stood and walked towards the Great Deku Tree, leaving her entourage in the clearing.


	48. The Goddess Statue - Great Hyrule Forest

Zelda made her way up one of the Great Deku Tree’s roots and into the chamber within it. It was eerily quiet, and looking around she saw a cooking pot in the middle, what looked like two stores, and a bed.

What she couldn’t see were the koroks eagerly chittering to each other about how the  _ princess of Hyrule _ was there.

“This must have been a place for Link to rest and find supplies during his travels,” she murmured to herself.

She saw the Goddess Statue in the corner and stepped over to it.

Placing her offering of a silent princess on its pedestal, Zelda knelt to pray.

This time, she was transported.

 

The princess found herself standing in what seemed to be an endless field of clouds. The sky was white, and she looked down to see she was wearing her ceremonial dress. She peered into the distance, trying to discern her surroundings, but could see nothing but clouds.

“Hello?” she called.

Nothing.

Zelda decided there was nothing she could do but walk, so she began to walk in the direction she’d been facing.

After what felt like hours, she came across what looked like an island in the sky. Several islands, in fact, connected by bridges. Zelda saw a giant Goddess Statue on the highest island and noticed several flying creatures soaring around the island with what looked like Hylians on their backs.

“What is this place?” Zelda asked the empty air.

“This is the place I was born,” a voice from behind her said.

Zelda whirled around and saw… herself.

But not quite.

“Who are you?” Zelda demanded.

The young girl smiled. She had blonde hair like Zelda’s, but there were two strands in the front with jewelry in them. Her white dress was no less dignified than Zelda’s but much more simple.

“I am the human reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia,” the girl said. “You may call me Hylia if you choose.”

Zelda glanced back at the island civilization.

“What did they call you?” she asked.

“They called me Zelda.”

“You’re… the first princess?” Zelda asked, amazed. She’d heard the legends of course, and knew the reason behind the tradition surrounding her name, but they’d always been just that--legends and traditions.

“You could say that,” the girl said, smiling. “Although in my time, I wasn’t a princess. I was in training to be a knight.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I was in training in the Knight’s Academy with my best friend who would later become the first of the legendary heroes. I awoke as the human incarnation of the Goddess Hylia, and when we defeated Demise he cursed all three of us into an endless cycle of reincarnation.”

“Which is why Link and I exist.”

The other Zelda nodded.

“What was your best friend’s name?”

“Link,” Hylia said, smiling once again. “The hero is usually named Link. It’s a wonder no one has figured that out yet.”

Zelda turned back to look at the islands.

“What are those flying creatures?” she asked. “Are they Rito?”

“No,” Hylia said, stepping forward to stand next to Zelda. “They are called Loftwings. They’re the steeds the knights rode.”

Zelda was speechless. Hylians flying through the sky as if they were a Rito? The thrill was unimaginable. After taking a moment to admire the island chain and its inhabitants, Zelda turned back to Hylia.

“Why am I here?” she asked.

“I wanted to speak with you in person,” Hylia explained.

“Do you speak to regular Hylians?”

Chuckling, Hylia replied, “Sometimes. Very rarely. I usually only speak to the princess and the hero. I typically have a church of religious leaders with whom I speak as well, but there hasn’t been one of those in thousands of years.”

“There was a church before the Great Calamity,” Zelda protested. “There were the priestesses who served at the Temple of Time as well as the monks who lived in the monastery on the Great Plateau.”

This time, Hylia’s smile was sad.

“As I said, I haven’t truly spoken with religious leaders in thousands of years.”

Before Zelda could even begin to wrap her mind around this information, Hylia continued speaking.

“I brought you here to tell you that I believe in you. Continue on the path you have set yourself and you will receive my blessing. However, don’t forget about the enemy in the desert. They must be dealt with before Hyrule can truly have an era of peace.”

As Hylia finished, she started to fade. Zelda reached out to her, but suddenly she was back in front of the Goddess Statue within the Great Deku tree.

Shakily, she stood and allowed herself a moment to breathe as well as a moment to commit what the Goddess had said to memory.

_ I haven’t truly spoken with religious leaders in thousands of years. _

_ Don’t forget about the enemy in the desert. They must be dealt with before Hyrule can truly have an era of peace. _


	49. The Defector Returns

Link and the rest of his group arrived at the Tabantha Bridge Stable weary from a long day’s travel. They’d pushed through the remains of Castle Town to make it so far so quickly. The castle was showing signs of the Gorons’ renovations, but Zelda insisted they push on so the actual progress was still unknown.

Garini all but slid out of the saddle of his horse and landed in a heap on the ground. Koyin dismounted with a little more grace but seemed to be in almost as much pain from the way she moved. Kanna’s demeanor was that of someone who did such hard riding every day. All of this information about his friends amused Link, who dismounted in a similar manner to Kanna. He stepped over to Zelda and helped her off her horse by putting his hands on her waist and supporting her.

“I think we’ve all earned a night’s rest,” Zelda said, brushing herself off as Link released her. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze in gratitude before turning back to their companions. “I believe the three of you have earned a bed as well.”

“What about yourself and Link, Princess?” Kanna asked.

“Zelda will take the fourth bed if it’s available and I’ll sleep on the floor,” Link said. “If the fourth bed isn’t available, we’ll both sleep outside in our tents.”

Dabi, the stablemaster, informed them when they went to reserve beds that two normal beds and the soft bed were open.

“Garini can take the soft bed and the two of you can have the others,” Zelda said once she’d paid. “As Link said, the two of us will sleep outside in our tents.”

Their three companions agreed heartily to this and proceeded to go to bed immediately. Link and Zelda returned outside to set up their tents. In the end, Zelda ended up setting both of them up because Link was convinced someone was watching them and was scanning the giant mushroom-shaped formations to see if someone was observing them from above.

The familiar sinister laughter sounded in the distance, causing Link to take Zelda by the hand and for the first time in his life run towards the sound, hoping to find the Yiga Clan warrior who had spoken to them before.

It was. They met the princess and young warrior at the base of one of the mushroom structures, far enough from the stable they wouldn’t be heard but close enough its lights were still in sight, breaking up the surrounding darkness. Link examined the Yiga Clan warrior closely and realized their uniform was quite a bit more damaged than it had been the last time they’d seen them.

“Princess,” the warrior said, inclining his head to her and surprising both her and Link. “Hero.”

“We’re closer to your hideout,” Link said, “but we’re on the way to Rito Village.”

“I know. I just wanted to give you a bit more information about my peoples’ plight.”

“Of course,” Zelda said, not releasing Link’s hand. “What new developments have occurred?”

“Those who seek your death are planning an ambush on your way to Gerudo Town,” they said. “I would recommend sending your entourage on ahead while the two of you make your way to the hideout and await their return.”

“Wouldn’t they harm our friends?” Link asked, squeezing Zelda’s hand.

“No, of course not,” the Yiga Clan warrior said, and Link knew if he could see their eyes they would be rolling them. “They’re after the two of you. They won’t make a blind ambush hoping you’re actually with your group. They’ll scout to make sure before attacking. That half of the Yiga Clan is uninterested in harming anyone other than the two of you.”

“What about the half you subscribe to?”

“We just want to live a normal life, as I said before.”

“What would you suggest we do once the failed ambush team returns?” Zelda asked.

“Honestly? If I were you I would use my sealing power to purge the Yiga Clan of those who still truly follow Ganon,” the Yiga Clan warrior said. “Such an act is the only true way to know where their hearts belong.”

“The sealing power would destroy those who still follow Ganon and leave the rest safe,” Zelda said contemplatively.

“What if any of the Yiga Clan is undecided?” Link asked.

“Then it depends on the person,” Zelda said. “The sealing power will make those judgements. It’ll be very similar to what I did when you fell; I purged the Guardians of the malice that controlled them.”

“The stories of that event are what gave me the idea,” the Yiga Clan warrior admitted.

“What if they aren’t controlled by malice and are simply evil?” Link demanded.

“Then we’ll have a fight on our hands,” Zelda said, shrugging. “It’s nothing you haven’t dealt with before.”

“Then it’s settled,” the Yiga Clan warrior said. “I will give you a sign to let you know when to break off from your group.”

With an explosion of cards, the warrior was gone.

Link dropped Zelda’s hand and looked at her.

“What?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“‘It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before’?” he demanded, putting his hands on his hips. “Who are you to make that decision?”

“I’m the princess of Hyrule,” Zelda said cooly. “And you’re my knight. If I need to be protected, it’s your job to do the protecting!”

“I’m also your partner,” Link said. “Or at least I thought I was. What if I think this is a horrible plan and want to preemptively keep you safe?”

“It’s my decision, Link,” Zelda said.

“So you get to decide that I get to kill potentially innocent people because you refuse to find a different way,” Link growled, his growing anger nearly bringing him to tears. “You want me to slay the entire Yiga Clan if this doesn’t work? You want me to kill innocent men and women for the crimes of others?”

“It’s also technically their own crimes.”

“So no one gets a second chance in your world,” Link said, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I don’t know if I want to live in that kind of world.”

With that, Link stormed back to his tent, leaving Zelda alone in the dark.


	50. The Creaking Bird

The next morning they set out for Rito Village after they ate. During the ride, Link didn’t even look at Zelda, let alone talk to her. The rest of them kept up their usual chatter but he didn’t have the heart today.

They left their horses at Rito Stable and headed across the first of several bridges to Rito Village. Link found himself falling back a bit to walk next to Garini but still maintaining his awareness of their surroundings.

“How many towns are left?” Garini asked him.

“Rito Village and Gerudo Town.”

“I’m excited to get the university up and running,” Garini said, staring dreamily across the chasm separating them from the rest of Hyrule. “I want to learn everything I can. I also want to find someone to marry, though.”

Link thought of Zelda and his heart gave a pang. He physically could not respond.

“Do you think that’ll happen?” Garini asked after a moment of silence.

The young warrior jerked his head in a nod.

“It’d be nice to find someone like me who’s interested in the ancient technology. I thought Kanna might be, but she’s not. She’s just interested in fighting. Particularly yours. She goes on and on about your fighting style, wishing she could learn something from it. But she says she has the feeling only you can do what you do.”

Link nodded and was saved from further conversation by their arrival at the village. Zelda led the group to the very last structure at the top of the village, which was where the elder lived.

“Champion descendant!” Kaneli, the Rito elder, hooted. “Long time no see!”

“Hello again, Kaneli,” Link said. “May I present Princess Zelda?”

Kaneli examined Zelda closely, and hooted with laughter.

“So you are the Link of legend!” he said. “I apologize for insisting on calling you champion descendant. How do you do, Princess?”

“I am well,” Zelda said, bowing to the old Rito. “How has Rito Village been faring?”

“After Calamity Ganon was defeated, we were faring quite well,” Kaneli said. “Recently, however, Divine Beast Vah Medoh has been creaking very unsettlingly on his perch. We’re worried the machine will fall and crush the village.”

“I would love to be of service in investigating the matter,” Zelda offered.

“Excellent!” Kaneli cried. “Rito Village will gladly join the new Hyrule if you help us insure Medoh will not fall!”

 

The rest of the day in Rito Village was spent preparing for the journey to investigate Medoh. Kanna and Koyin denied the invitation to join the expedition, but Garini was excited at the prospect of seeing a Divine Beast so up close, so Link, Zelda, and Garini made their way to the Brazen Beak, which was Rito Village’s armor shop.

“Hello!” Nekk, the shop’s greeter, cried. “Welcome to the Brazen Beak! We have only the finest and the warmest Rito armor for every shape and size.”

The three companions made their way into the shop where they were greeted by Huck.

“Good morning,” Zelda said, approaching the counter at which Huck stood. “I was wondering if you could outfit myself and my friend here with your famous Rito armor?”

“Of course!” Huck said, stepping out from behind the counter.

As he already had a full set of Rito armor, Link stood in the corner while Huck took Garini and Zelda’s measurements.

“It’s not every day I get to craft a piece for a Hylian woman,” Huck twittered as he professionally measured Zelda’s waist.

Stepping back, Huck examined Zelda closely before hooting in surprise.

“Princess!” Huck cried. “I’m sorry for not recognizing you sooner!”

“That’s quite alright,” Zelda said.

“What happened to your warm clothing? Legend says it was the most beautiful Rito armor ever created.”

“It was lost in the Calamity,” Zelda explained, “but I’m more than confident you can craft me something even more beautiful.”

“Challenge accepted!” Huck said as he turned to Garini.

While Garini left with an altered version of the armor Link himself had purchased, Zelda was bowed out of the shop with the promise her new, more beautiful armor would be ready the next morning, just in time for them to set off for the top of the rock on which the village was built.

Garini went his own way to explore the town while Link and Zelda went to find the Rito warrior who Link was sure was Revali’s spiritual successor, Teba. On the way Zelda attempted to engage Link in conversation several times but he refused.

When they arrived at the structure Teba lived in they were surprised to find the whole family home.

“Link!” Teba said, gesturing them both into the hut. “Welcome!”

“How are you, Teba?” Link asked as Tulin, Teba’s son, rushed forward.

“I’m doing quite well,” Teba replied. “Tulin is coming along quite well in his training and is on his way to being as good at archery as Revali.”

Tulin jumped around Link excitedly.

“I can hit three targets before I have to fly up again!” the young Rito cried excitedly. “And I’m taller than the last time you were here!”

“You are,” Link said, impressed. “You’ll be taller than me before long.”

“Who is this, Link?” Saki, Teba’s wife, asked, gesturing to Zelda.

“I’m Princess Zelda,” she said, bowing to Saki.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Saki gushed. “Please, come, sit. Are you hungry?”

As Saki dithered over Zelda, Link turned back to Teba.

“Tomorrow morning we need to go up to see what’s wrong with Medoh,” Link said. “I was wondering if you would be willing to fly us up there.”

“Who’s ‘us’?” Teba asked.

“The princess, myself, and one of our companions. He’s from Lurelin Village and very interested in ancient technology.”

“That should be manageable,” Teba said. “I’ll have to take you up one at a time, though.”

“Perfect,” Link said. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

Saki sent them back to the stable loaded down with delicious roast fish meals for their entire party.

 

The next morning, after Garini and Link donned their Rito armor and Zelda retrieved hers from Huck and changed, Teba flew the three companions to the top of the village one by one.

“Here we are,” Teba said once he’d carried a quivering Garini to the top of the rock, right next to where Vah Medoh was perched. “You can hear the creaking pretty well up here.”

And indeed they could. Link winced at the sound of the ancient machinery’s creaks. It sounded as though it would topple any moment.

“Well,” Zelda said, unfazed. “It’s now or never. Let’s enter it.”

This task was easier said than done, as the divine beast was positioned in such a way that the typical access point was inaccessible. Again, Teba had to carry his Hylian companions and drop them off at the top of the beast.

“Would you like me to accompany you?” he asked as he hovered above them.

Zelda looked around and finally shook her head.

“No thank you, Teba.”

“Alright. I’ll return for you at dusk unless I hear you call down to the village.”

And with that, the white Rito was gone.

“This is magnificent,” Garini gushed as they carefully navigated the outcroppings on the back of the beast to reach the main control unit. “I’ve never seen the ancient technology this close. Rudania was so far from Goron City.”

“It’s a marvel,” Zelda agreed.

Link was too busy making sure none of them fell to comment on the nature of the divine beast’s construction. He did admire Huck’s handiwork with Zelda’s armor, however. Even though he was still furious with her he had to admit she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

They managed to situate themselves against the main control unit and Link wordlessly took the Sheikah slate from Zelda and ran it over the pedestal. When it chimed, he handed it back to her.

She examined it closely. Link could picture the map of the divine beast in his mind from when he’d freed it from Ganon’s grasp, but he had no idea what a typical readout of the beast’s functions looked like on the Sheikah slate.

“How long did it take you to free Medoh?” Garini asked while Zelda evaluated the machine’s data.

“Two days.”

“How did you sleep?” Garini asked, jaw agape.

“I didn’t.”

“I’ve got it!” Zelda declared.

He and Garini leaned in to see what the Sheikah slate was displaying.

Link decided right then and there Zelda was much smarter when it came to this kind of thing than he ever would be, but kept his mouth shut.

“Is the...liquid in the beast frozen?” Garini asked.

“Yes,” Zelda said, obviously pleased. “The divine beasts operate in such a way that requires a constant motion of some sort of energy. For Rudania, it’s lava. Naboris requires lightning. Ruta needs water, and Medoh takes air. You have the right idea but not quite the correct substance.”

“So air flows through this thing and helps it maintain its position?” Garini clarified.

“Exactly,” Zelda said, getting to her feet. “All we have to do is find what’s blocking the airflow through the divine beast and it will stop creaking.”

 

After several hours of searching, Link found an unidentified bird lodged in one of the divine beast’s air shafts.

“That’ll do it,” Zelda said as Link threw the dead bird as hard as he could away from the divine beast and the village.

Slowly, Link and Zelda could hear the air start to move through the beast again. After they heard a loud grunt and another bird-like object flew through the air, they knew Garini had solved a similar problem on the other side of the beast.

“Excellent,” Zelda said as Medoh stopped creaking.

 

When Teba came to retrieve them, they explained what had happened.

“I suppose we’ll have to send someone up there every once in a while to make sure the air shafts are clear,” he rumbled.

 

Once Teba had returned them to the village, they explained everything to Kaneli, who was delighted.

“Thank you so much for solving our problem, Princess,” he said.

“I couldn’t have done it without Garini and Link.”

“Tonight, the entire village is throwing you a feast on Revali’s Landing,” the elder declared.


	51. The Rito's Gift

That evening, Link’s friend Kass played them the Champion’s Ballad. By the time he’d finished his performance, Link and Zelda were teary-eyed. Kass’s five daughters soon cheered them up, however, with their performance of a beautiful ancient Rito song.

Once everyone had eaten their fill of poultry, salmon, and cakes, Kaneli got to his feet to address Zelda in front of the village.

“Princess Zelda,” he said, “you and your friends have done us a great service. Rito Village would like to accept your invitation to join the new kingdom of Hyrule and offer you this token of our support.”

Teba stepped forward and Link saw him holding a ruby that would fit into one of the slots in the royal diadem. Zelda held the crown out and Teba fitted the jewel into its place.

“May it keep you warm, wherever you find yourself,” Kaneli hooted.


	52. The Goddess Statue - Rito Village

After the others had retired to the stables and the village was quiet, Zelda made her way to the bottom of the village to find the Goddess Statue. She set down her offering, knelt, and clasped her hands together.

“Goddess,” she said. “Thank you for watching over us as we investigated Medoh. None of us fell and for that I am grateful. Thank you as well for allowing me to receive the blessings of everyone we’ve encountered so far. I look forward to visiting the two final Goddess Statues and finally receiving your blessing to rule.

“I ask that you help me find the answer to your words. I would love to reestablish your church as it was thousands of years ago. Also, please help me to discover the correct way to deal with the Yiga Clan. This issue has divided Link and I to the point where he won’t even speak to me.”

Zelda opened her eyes and looked at the Goddess Statue, so small at the base of such a large rock structure. She could hardly believe she’d spoken to the Goddess face-to-face.

“Thank you,” she whispered one last time before returning to the stable herself.


	53. Journey to the Forgotten Temple

Link awoke suddenly the next morning as though he’d been having a bad dream. He sat up and looked around his tent and finally decided everything was normal. He still couldn’t shake the weird feeling his dreams had given him, however, and wished he could remember them. He tried to remember as he dressed and armed himself but was unsuccessful.

Outside, Zelda was making breakfast.

It was… almost burning.

Link stepped forward and gently took the ladle from her. He used it to take the hot pot off the fire and set it on some rocks next to it.

“I’m sorry,” Zelda said. “I’m not really paying attention. I’m anxious about this trip we have to take.”

Link ladled soup for both of them and waited for her to continue.

“We have to go to the Forgotten Temple,” Zelda elaborated as he handed her a bowl. “I think we should leave the others here and leave for Gerudo Town once we return.”

 

After they finished their breakfast and informed the others of their plans, Zelda handed Link the Sheikah slate so he could summon the Master Cycle Zero.

They didn’t speak at all as they zoomed along on the machine, and soon enough they were at the edge of the Tanagar Canyon which overlooked the entrance to the Forbidden Temple. Link allowed the Master Cycle to dematerialize and hooked the Sheikah slate to his belt.

“I guess now we climb,” Zelda said.

Link went first so he could catch her if she fell.

 

They landed lightly on top of the Forbidden Temple and were about to take a break when Link heard the laughter of a Yiga Clan warrior, but it was deeper than the laughter of their contact.

He and Zelda whirled around to see a Yiga Clan blademaster several feet away, looking smug. The master sword was already in Link’s hand.

“I finally tracked the two of you down myself,” the blademaster crooned. “No need for a larger operation, it seems. I’ll make quick work of you.”

Link stepped forward to fight, but found himself shoved off his feet. Zelda stepped forward, her hand outstretched, and before he could stop her she’d summoned her sealing power.

The glowing orb engulfed the Yiga Clan blademaster, who was frozen in place. Once Zelda’s power dissipated, the blademaster fell to the ground, still frozen. Link scrambled to his feet and ran over to the warrior. As he arrived at their side he watched as their body began to crumble into dust.

The young Hylian looked at Zelda, who was smug.

“I knew it would work,” she said, and Link was still angry.

“That doesn’t mean you were right,” he growled, turning away from the pile of dust that was slowly blowing away with the wind. “You made your decision before you were sure your power would work.”

“I thought if I could prove it would work you wouldn’t be angry anymore!” Zelda cried, her eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m not angry because I thought it wouldn’t work, I’m angry you decided I would kill innocent people without even asking me first!” Link shouted. “If I were just your knight it would be different. But I love you, and you said you love me. You don’t just order the person you love to kill innocent people as a back-up plan for a hunch!”

Zelda’s eyes fell to her feet, but Link was tired of dealing with this.

“Let’s just go to the temple,” he said, walking past her to the edge of the structure. “We’ve wasted enough time.”

They climbed over the edge of the building and made another soft landing at the opening. Link examined the interior of the building. The decayed guardians hadn’t activated at their presence, which assured him he and Zelda could simply climb through the building to where they needed to be.

They spent the rest of the day doing so.

 

They set up a camp just next to the shrine in front of the Goddess Statue and Zelda went to pray while Link cooked dinner.


	54. The Goddess Statue - The Forgotten Temple

Zelda approached the giant Goddess Statue with conflicted emotions. It reminded her of the one she’d seen perched at the top of the island town the Goddess incarnate had inhabited so long ago, but she was too distressed to appreciate this coincidence.

Before she could set down her offering and kneel to pray, Zelda heard a swish of fabric behind her and turned to see Link.

But he wasn’t her Link. His eyes were blood red, and he was attacking her.

Reacting instinctively thanks to his training, she rolled away from his first attack and unsheathed her dagger as she found her feet again.

He raised the master sword and swung at her.

She raised her arm to block his attack, but she didn’t need to.

A shimmering Hylia was standing before her and had met the master sword with one of her own. The ancient knight swiftly disarmed Link and smacked him with the hilt of her sword, sending him flying across the room and into the wall.

“Link!” Zelda cried.

Hylia turned to Zelda, a sad smile on her face.

“Even in the face of death by his hand and the recipient of his harsh words, you still worry for his safety.”

“It wasn’t him,” Zelda insisted, tears running down her cheeks. “Did you see his eyes?”

“I did,” Hylia said, her voice the epitome of sadness. “He’s been having dreams he can’t remember, dreams where he’s relived all his past lives. All of his failures. Every time someone has hurt him, and there’s been a little, enchanted voice in the back of his head blaming someone for all of this pain.”

“It’s been blaming me,” Zelda breathed.

“Yes,” Hylia said. “Even though it came about because of Demise’s curse, someone enchanted Link not only to relive all of his failure but to blame every single one of them on you.” 

“What can we do?” Zelda asked as she made her way over to Link.

She was grateful to find him still breathing.

“We’ll have to heal him,” Hylia said. “But we can only do it in the sacred realm.”


	55. Healing a Hero

In the blink of an eye, Zelda found herself still next to Link but no longer in the Forgotten Temple. She was once again in the white, cloudy realm where she’d first met Hylia.

This time, it wasn’t just Hylia and a floating civilization.

This time, there were dozens of Links, too.

“What the--?” Zelda breathed.

“Princess, these are all of the heroes ever born,” Hylia explained. “They’re here to help us heal your hero.”

“Will he still be the same?” Zelda asked, looking sadly at her best friend. There was so much more she wanted to say to him.

“Of course,” one of the Links said, stepping forward. “Hello, Princess. I am the Hero of Time.”

Zelda remembered the legends as each of the Links introduced themselves to her. The Hero of Twilight, the Hero of the Sky, the Hero of the Wind, the Hero of Hyrule, the Blacksmith Hero from Nakk’s story. All of the legends were standing in front of her.

When the final one stepped forward to introduce himself, Zelda couldn’t help but stare.

“I am the Ancient Hero,” he said. “The hero who lived 10,000 years before your time. The one who helped to develop the Divine Beasts and the guardians, the towers and the shrines. I was there when the monks developed their trials and I was the first to complete them. I stood with the princess with the blood of the goddess and sealed Ganon deep below Hyrule Castle.”

“It’s an honor,” Zelda said.

“Now, Princess,” the Ancient Hero said, “if you will step aside, we will heal the Hero of the Wild.”

Zelda was confused until she realized they meant her Link. She joined Hylia just outside the circle of heroes and watched the ceremony.

 

Link’s head was full of voices. All of them were his, but not. All of them were familiar, but not. All of them were speaking the same thing at the same time.

He couldn’t make out what they were saying. His tired brain decided it was a language older than him. Far, far older. It sounded like a ritual. But he still couldn’t open his eyes.

 

Zelda watched the heroes perform their ritual for what felt like a lifetime.

“There,” the Ancient Hero said. “Princess, it’s your turn.”

Zelda stepped forward and the heroes cleared a path for her to reach Link.

“You’ll have to direct your power at him,” the Ancient Hero explained. “Focus on cleansing.”

Zelda closed her eyes, reached one of her hands towards Link, and breathed out her power.

Link opened his eyes.

He was laying on the floor of the Forgotten Temple, in front of the giant Goddess Statue that had always been rather intimidating.

Zelda was sitting next to him, watching over him. He thought he saw someone else standing behind her, but he blinked and there was no one.

“What happened?” Link asked, sitting up slowly.

“What do you remember?”

He thought about this. Finally he decided the last thing he remembered was Zelda walking away from him to pray at the Goddess Statue.

When Zelda explained what had happened, he felt horrible.

“What do you mean I attacked you?” he demanded.

“You were possessed,” she said soothingly. “You weren’t in control.”

“How are you still alive?”

“The Goddess saved me. She also helped me heal you.”

“Wow,” Link said, rubbing his head. “What a trip.”

A moment of silence fell between them and Link found himself looking into Zelda’s eyes.

“Link, I am so sorry,” Zelda whispered finally. “I am so sorry I put Hyrule before you and your feelings. Please forgive me.”

Link sighed and laid back down.

“I forgive you,” he said slowly, staring up at the distant ceiling. “But I don’t know if we were meant to be together. If you can put Hyrule before me so easily, how can our relationship be important to you? You’ve already proven Hyrule comes first. That’s not how a romantic relationship should work. We should be putting each other first.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying… I love you, Zelda. More than anything. More than Hyrule. But I don’t think you love me the same way. You shouldn’t, really, but I believe I deserve to be with someone who can. I’ll stay with you until Zora’s Domain, but after that I’m going home.”

“What about the Zora king’s recommendation I marry?” Zelda whispered hoarsely. “What about the Goron Boss? What am I supposed to tell them?”

Link had hoped her response would be different, but these questions showed him it truly was over between them.

“I don’t know, Princess,” Link said sadly. “I suppose you’ll have to figure it out.”


	56. A Short Break

When they arrived back at Rito Stable, they found their friends sitting around a dog with a bandaged leg.

“What happened?” Link asked, sitting next to the creature to pet it. It looked up at him with brown eyes that made his heart melt.

“We don’t know,” Koyin said. “It was just sitting next to the stable last night when out of nowhere a tree branch hit it and scratched its leg up.”

Link examined the dog’s wound and realized it corresponded exactly to the wound he’d received when the Goddess had disarmed him.

“I want to keep it,” he announced.

“It’s the stable’s dog,” Garini said.

A handful of rupees later, Link owned a dog.

 

As they rode towards Outskirt Stable where they would spend the night, the dog frolicked around Link and his horse, careful to stay out of the way of its hooves as they rode.

“What are you going to name it?” Kanna asked.

“I don’t know. Anyone have any ideas?”

“Spot,” Garini said unhelpfully.

“Lazy,” Koyin teased.

Link shook his head.

“I think I’m going to name it Grace,” he said.

Zelda glanced at him. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet during this stretch of their journey.

“After the healing power Mipha gave you?”

“Yeah,” Link said. “I think this dog has healing powers. I mean, just before we left it was all scratched up. Now it’s frolicking around like nothing ever happened.”

“Hello, Grace,” Zelda called to the dog, who barked happily. “Welcome to our team.”

 

As they pitched their tents in the stable yard, Koyin noticed the coliseum.

“What’s that?” she asked, gesturing to it.

“It’s the ruins of the coliseum,” Garini explained. “One of our villagers saw it on his travels. Apparently there used to be sporting events there, battles between the best soldiers in the land.”

“I fought there once,” Link said absentmindedly as he finished pitching his tent. “I was six.”

Koyin and Garini stared at him.

“Six?” Koyin said.

“I was besting adults in combat when I was four,” Link pointed out.

“Wow,” Koyin said. “I’m surprised you don’t have a fat head.”

“I learned at a young age that sometimes the gifts we’re given aren’t for us,” he replied, digging in his saddlebags for something he and Grace could eat.

Before anyone could respond to this comment, Kanna was approached by a runner with another letter.

“Is it Mubs again?” Link asked.

Kanna turned red.

“Why is Mubs always writing to you?” Garini asked as he finished his own tent. “I thought she had friends in the village.”

“She does,” Kanna said. “We just had some things in common, you know how it is.”

Link and Garini glanced at each other while Link fed Grace a piece of raw meat.

“If you say so,” Link said.

“Kanna,” Zelda said from her place at the stable’s cooking pot, “are you and Mubs in a relationship?”

Everyone froze, and it all clicked into place for Link.

Kanna burst into tears, and while Zelda put a comforting arm around her shoulders, Link and Garini exchanged glances. Grace padded over to put her head in Kanna’s lap and Koyin freaked out.

“A relationship?! With the population of Hyrule as low as it is, you start a relationship with a woman?!” Koyin demanded.

“Hush,” Zelda said scathingly.

Link decided his time was best spent digging into a hearty durian as he observed the interactions between the other members of his party.

“Kanna, it’s quite alright,” Zelda said soothingly as Kanna rubbed Grace’s soft wars. “You can love whomever you want.”

“I thought you would be more concerned, Princess,” Koyin spat. “After all, you were the one commenting on how few people Hyrule has left.”

“Koyin, one relationship between two women isn’t going to ruin the future of Hyrule,” Zelda snapped. “Now please, find the ounce of decency I’m sure you have and be Kanna’s friend right now.”

Koyin sighed.

“You’re right, Princess,” she said, and she knelt down in front of Kanna.

“It’s not a big deal, Kanna,” Koyin said in what Link knew was the most comforting voice she could muster. “Mubs is great. You’ll make a great couple. Especially around Castle Town!”

“What do you mean?” Kanna asked, wiping her tears.

“Well, Castle Town is going to be the new up and coming place for all the stylish people in Hyrule to live,” Koyin explained. “No one will care how you and Mubs live, because if you live in Castle Town you’ll already be considered stylish.”

Kanna smiled through her tears and Grace licked her face.

 

That night, Link was dreaming.

But before he could get too far into the dream, Grace’s barking woke him up.

“What’s wrong?” he asked the dog blearily, sitting up.

Grace whined at him and wagged her tail.

“Could you tell what kind of dream I was having?” Link asked her.

She cocked her head at him.

Shaking his head, Link laid back down and lifted his arm. Grace snuggled underneath it and burrowed close to him.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Grace licked his face as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

The next morning, Link went down to the water with Grace to bathe. Garini accompanied them.

As Grace amused herself with diving in and out of the water, Link and Garini disrobed and slipped into the water themselves. As Link washed himself, he sighed.

“What?” Garini asked.

“I just remembered,” Link said, pouring water over his shoulders. “We’ll have to dress as women to enter Gerudo Town.”

“What?!” Garini squawked, leaping back. “Why?”

“No men are allowed within the town’s walls. It’s not that bad. I have an extra set of clothes you can wear. You’ll be fine.”

“If you say so,” Garini grumbled.

After a moment of companionable silence, Garini spoke again.

“What do you think about what happened with Kanna yesterday?”

Link shrugged.

“She can marry whomever she wants to marry,” he said. “It’s no skin off my nose.”

“I guess that’s okay then, seeing as you’re going to be king and all,” Garini said.

Link’s heart sank into his stomach.

“Zelda and I aren’t a couple,” he said softly.

Garini turned red.

“I’m so sorry for assuming!” he cried. “I just--”

“It’s alright, Garini. No big deal. Just thought I’d let you know.”

“I’m sorry, Link. I thought the two of you were unshakeable.”

Link shook his head.

“I guess we weren’t.”

 

They spent the day at Outskirt Stable to rest from all the traveling they’d been doing. The next morning, however, they were headed to the desert. Link made sure everyone, even Grace, was equipped with enough heat resistant elixirs just in case the Gerudo outfits they would all wear weren’t effective enough.


	57. A Bitter Climb

About halfway to the stable just before the Gerudo Desert, Link and Zelda got the signal to break off from the group and head towards the Yiga Clan hideout. Link left Grace with Kanna and told the group to wait for them at Kara Kara Bazaar. When asked about what they were doing, Zelda told them it was something they had to do to protect Hyrule and didn’t want to put the others in danger.

Link and Zelda climbed over extremely treacherous terrain in the direction of the Yiga Clan hideout. As they climbed and walked and climbed again, Link prayed the Yiga Clan defector hadn’t lied to them and their friends were safe.

“What are you thinking?” Zelda huffed once they’d gotten about half way to their destination.

“I’m hoping everyone else is okay,” Link replied, out of breath himself.

They decided to take a break and collapsed where they stood.

“Link, can we talk about us?” Zelda asked once they’d caught their breath.

Link sighed and laid down on the ground, looking up at the clear sky.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I want to know if there’s anything I can do to change your mind,” Zelda said. “I love you and I want you with me. I want you to help me lead Hyrule.”

“Zelda,” Link groaned. “I told you. I don’t want to be in a relationship where you can’t put me first. As we are right now, I’ll be the one putting you first all the time and Hyrule will become a great country but we’ll grow to hate each other by the end of the relationship. We both deserve better than that.”

“You’re being selfish,” Zelda said.

“I’m the one being selfish?” Link demanded, sitting up abruptly. “You’re the one begging me to be with you again because you don’t think you can rule a country by yourself! Step up, Zelda. This is your duty, not mine. My duty was technically over as soon as Ganon was defeated.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because I love you!” Link cried, exasperated. “I love you and I want to make sure you’re safe. But as soon as the royal guard is in place again I’m going back to Hateno with Grace and my horse and we’re leading a quiet life of making a living and paying taxes. Maybe even falling in love again, I don’t know. But the way you’ve looked at our relationship since the beginning makes me know I don’t want to be the prince of Hyrule. I wish Dorephan had never told you to get married. Maybe our relationship could have been real, then.”

“You think I don’t really love you?” Zelda demanded. “You think all of this has been a ploy to con you into marrying me so I can make world leaders happy?”

“You haven’t done much to prove otherwise,” Link said bitterly.

“My sealing power awoke because I love you!” Zelda shouted. “I love you because you’re kind and compassionate and honorable. You’re sweet and handsome and personable. I would love you whether I were an empress or a pauper. You also just happen to be perfectly suited for the role of prince. It’s a coincidence!”

“When you say it like that I feel all better,” Link said. “Is this conversation over now?”

Zelda, tears running down her cheeks, stood and stormed away from him to continue the climb. With a sigh, he joined her.


	58. The End of the Yiga

They arrived at the edge of the canyon where the endless pit was located. Laying on their stomachs, they peeked over the edge to see if the ambush party had returned, and were pleased to find every Yiga Clan member there. Link tried to make out their informant and found them at the very back of the gathered crowd.

Without warning, Zelda leaped down and landed lightly on her feet. The gathered warriors looked at her, surprised.

“Well well well,” what looked like the new leader said. “The princess has come to offer herself up as a sacrifice.”

“Not exactly,” Zelda said, extending her hand towards the gathering.

As her sealing power expanded, Yiga Clan members screamed and attempted to flee. However, Link had managed to get around to the actual door to their hideout in time to prevent this, and Zelda’s power soon engulfed every member of the Yiga Clan.

After what felt like ages her power dissipated, and the Yiga Clan members still loyal to Ganon faded into dust just like the lone blademaster had. The rest were rid of their Yiga clothes and given garments that more closely resembled the Sheikah.

 

Once everything calmed, Zelda and Link helped the survivors remember themselves. They remembered the names they’d had and the lives they’d lived. They also got to meet their informant and learn their name.

Strangely enough, all of them were from different time periods. Apparently the Yiga Clan magic had granted them extraordinarily long lives.

“Will you be able to find your way to Kakariko?” Zelda asked the leader, the young woman who had sought their help.

“Yes, Princess,” Chell said. “And we have a charm we would like to add to your bracelet.”

The brave young woman presented Zelda with a charm that looked like the Yiga Clan symbol.

“We apologize for the pain we have caused Hyrule,” she said.

With that, the former Yiga warriors left Karusa Valley in search of a new life.


	59. Riju's Request

Once they rejoined their friends and filled them in on what happened, Zelda and her entourage journeyed the rest of the way to Gerudo Town. Link and Garini had changed before leaving the bazaar, so they were uninhibited as they entered the town’s gates.

Zelda sought and was granted an audience with the Gerudo chief and Champion Urbosa’s spiritual heir, Riju.

“What can I do for the princess of Hyrule?” she asked.

“I would like your support of my rule,” Zelda said. “I want to reunite the kingdom and lead Hyrule into prosperity.”

“Hmm,” Riju said contemplatively. “I have one request that must be fulfilled before I agree.”

“What might that be?” Zelda asked.

“I’d like Link to stay with me for the night,” Riju said, an air of mischief in her voice.

Link paled. What on earth would Riju want to do with him? Was she even of age? What on earth was her plan?

Zelda looked at Link scathingly, and he shrugged.

“I can only grant that wish if Link himself agrees.”

His curiosity winning out, Link agreed.

 

Zelda, Kanna, Koyin, and Garini managed to procure beds at the inn. Grace accompanied Link to stay with Riju.

When he entered her room, he pulled the Thunder Helm out of his pouch. It was a priceless Gerudo artifact Riju had lent him to help him save Hyrule, but now it needed to return home.

She took it from him and gestured for him to sit on the couch with her. Grace lept up onto Riju’s bed, which made her chuckle.

“Thank you, Link,” Riju said, placing the helm on a table. “I’m glad to see you took good care of it.”

“How have you been getting along?” Link asked, unable to shake his nervousness.

When he’d first met her, Riju had been concerned with how her people saw her. She worried they thought she was too young to be an effective ruler and was determined to prove them wrong.

“Just fine,” Riju said. “How about you?”

Link considered this question.

“Things have been weird recently,” he confessed. “I thought Zelda and I would be married, but it just doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen.”

“Interesting,” Riju said. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

After a moment of extremely uncomfortable silence for Link, he finally asked her why she wanted him for the evening.

“When you first arrived in Gerudo Town and helped me first reclaim the Thunder Helm and then calm Divine Beast Vah Naboris, I couldn’t help but develop a crush on you. I asked you to come because I would very much like to know what it would be like to kiss the hero of Hyrule.”

Link swallowed. He was worried it would be something like this, but was glad it wasn’t much worse.

“I know this is a rude question to ask a lady, but may I know how old you are?”

Riju chuckled.

“My crush is deepening,” she teased. “I’ll have you know I just turned sixteen. Our age difference is not inappropriate.”

Link nodded, some of his nervousness seeping out of him.

“Would you like me to kiss you now?” he asked.

Riju scooted closer to him on the couch in response.

He leaned closer to her and gently cupped the back of her head with his hand, his fingers getting lost in her hair. He realized her eyes were green like Zelda’s, but not exactly the same.

 

Later, as Link lay on the couch and Riju lay in her bed with Grace and a stuffed sand seal, he decided he liked kissing Riju but it was nothing like how he’d felt when kissing Zelda. He couldn’t help but wonder if their attraction had been completely physical, despite Zelda’s claims.


	60. The Gerudo's Gift

The next day, Riju threw the visiting group a feast. Zelda, Link, Kanna, Koyin, and Garini filled up on Gerudo delicacies. Grace preferred the gourmet meat, which made Link groan. He didn’t realize she would be such a fancy dog.

Finally, after much eating and celebration, Riju stood.

As she gave her speech, Garini leaned over and asked Link what she’d wanted from him the night before.

“She just wanted to kiss me,” Link breathed back. “I slept on the couch.”

Garini hummed deep in his throat and Link turned his attention back to what was happening before him.

“Gerudo Town is more than happy to rejoin the kingdom of Hyrule and would like to bestow upon you these gifts,” Riju was saying.

The woman who ran the jewelry store handed Riju the gem and Zelda presented her diadem to the young leader. The Gerudo chief inserted two gems into the slot for the Gerudo; two gems that had been carved to intertwine each other: a sapphire and a topaz.

“May these gems keep you cool in the heat and safe from lightning,” Riju said once the gems were in place. “May your trip back to Zora’s domain be a swift and easy one. And may your rest be a fulfilling one.”


	61. The Goddess Statue - Gerudo Town

Before they left, Zelda made her final offering to the final Goddess Statue left in Hyrule.

“Goddess, thank you for saving those you could,” she prayed. “Thank you from spilling Sheikah blood. Thank you for granting me the blessing of everyone in Hyrule.”

Zelda opened her eyes and the young Goddess knight was before her.

“Princess Zelda Alaya Hyrule,” the first Zelda said, a twinkle in her eye. “I would like to bestow upon you my blessing to rule the people of Hyrule.”

The young princess felt compelled to pull out the diadem. She did and offered it to the Goddess.

Hylia touched the diadem and it turned iridescent, just like the hilt of the master sword.

“I crown you Queen of Hyrule,” the Goddess said.


	62. The Plan for the Castle

It took the band of travelers two days to return to Hyrule Castle, where Zelda wanted to see how the Gorons were getting on with their excavation.

“Well, Princess,” Jengo said as he led them into the castle. “We’ve got most everything excavated. Bladon has been working on rebuilding the walls while Gonguron and I have been trying to restore the castle’s original layout.”

Zelda ran her hand along the wall of the old building and looked around sadly at the burned tapestries.

“It was such a grand building,” she mourned.

“It will be grand again, Princess.”

“Yes, it will,” Zelda said, straightening up. “Have you found anything of interest?”

“Actually, now that you mention it, we found your diary and your research notes,” Jengo said, producing them from the pack he had around his waist. “We also found King Rhoam’s diary in a secret room behind one of the shelves in the library.

Zelda accepted the books and placed them into the pouch on her waist.

“Thank you, sir,” she said. “Now, regarding my plans for the castle itself. We simply don’t have enough people to populate the castle and Castle Town, so I’d like the castle to serve as the university as well. Can you make sure there are enough rooms for, say, ten professors and twenty students to live in the building?”

“Of course, Princess,” Jengo said. “I think the original plans for the castle have five rooms for the royal family and forty for guests. Having as many rooms as you’ve requested won’t be an issue.”

“Have the workers from the Bolson Construction Company been working well?”

The Goron chuckled.

“Let’s just say Castle Town will be the most eclectic city in Hyrule.

 

That night, Link accompanied Zelda to one of the castle’s walls at her request. The group had decided to camp within the walls for the night and head to Zora’s Domain in the morning.

“I read my father’s diary,” she said quietly after they’d sat atop the wall for a few moments.

Link didn’t respond. He’d read the diary as well.

“He was going to try to mend our relationship,” Zelda continued. “He’d realized how he’d been treating me was wrong. We could have been a family again.”

“I’m sorry.”

Zelda nodded, closing her eyes.

They sat together for a long while.

“We’re almost to the end,” Link said contemplatively.

“Yes,” Zelda said, her voice full of tears.

This time, she didn’t beg him to change his mind. She didn’t insist she loved him or try to convince him he would make a good king. He loved her for that.


	63. The Zora's Gift

The five travelers arrived in Zora’s Domain to a considerable amount of pomp and circumstance, courtesy of Prince Sidon. Grace was visibly disturbed by the material the Domain was made of and tiptoed along beside Link.

“You’ve returned!” he cried, scooping Zelda into a hug. “I’m glad you’re back! And you and Link brought friends!”

“Is the king waiting for us, Prince Sidon?” Zelda asked as he let her go.

“Yes, Princess,” Sidon said, bowing deeply. “If you and your group will follow me.”

Zelda, Link, Kanna, Koyin, and Garini assembled into their formation and followed Sidon up the stairs to King Dorephan’s chambers. Grace tiptoed next to Link on his right side.

When they came into sight, King Dorephan rumbled.

“I’m glad to see you again, Princess,” he said. “Have you fulfilled your quest?”

“Yes, King Dorephan,” Zelda said.

She proceeded to introduce the Zora king to every member of their party, show him the bracelet and explained each charm, and finally presented the diadem.

“The Gorons returned the royal diadem to me and gifted me with this amber. The Rito elder gifted me with the ruby, and the Gerudo chief gifted me with the intricately carved sapphire and topaz combination. I have gained the support of every major civilization in Hyrule, aside from yours, of course, King Dorephan.

“Regarding my prayers to every Goddess Statue in Hyrule, when I prayed to the final statue in Gerudo Town the Goddess blessed the diadem, making it iridescent as you can see, and crowning me the ruler of Hyrule.”

“What of your marriage?” the Zora king asked.

Zelda looked at Link and the expression on her face broke his heart.

“When I went to face Ganon alone 100 years ago,” she began, “I was in love with Link. When we finally defeated Ganon together, I was still in love with him. However, once you recommended I marry, my love for him turned into a duty. As such I have ruined my relationship with him and stand before you without a betrothed.”

King Dorephan looked from Link to Zelda and back again for a few moments.

“What is your plan once the kingdom is reestablished?” King Dorephan asked, directing his words to Link.

“I plan to take my dog and return home to Hateno Village,” Link said. “I want to live a quiet, humble life.”

“I would say you’ve earned it, young one,” the king rumbled. 

He turned back to Zelda.

“While I am disappointed you won’t be getting married anytime soon, in every other aspect of your journey you have exceeded my expectations. As such, I would like to add this to the royal diadem, as well as accept your invitation to the new kingdom.”

Sidon stepped forward with an appropriately cut opal. Once it had been fixed in place, Zelda placed the crown on her head.

“I look forward to many prosperous years under your rule, Queen Zelda,” King Dorephan rumbled.


	64. Final Preparations

It took the Gorons another month to finish excavating and repairing the castle and its walls. The Rito provided the beds for each room, including the one that would be Zelda and her future husband’s, and the Gerudo provided tapestries depicting scenes from Hyrule’s history, such as each of the four deceased Champions, Link and Zelda’s battle with Ganon, Zelda’s journey to withhold Ganon at the beginning of the Age of Burning Fields, the last stand at Akkala Citadel, and Link’s battle with Master Kohga. Sheikah tribe members were able to help restore many of the old tapestries and decorations from 100 years ago, and they stood alongside the new decorations.

The guards’ chamber and old jail cells were converted into a study and storage space for Granté, who agreed to come to the university and serve as its director of historical armor. Link donated some of his collection to his cause.

When Purah, Symin, Robbie, and Jerrin arrived at the castle they immediately recruited travelers and wanderers to help them retrieve all the guardian parts scattered around Hyrule. Dr. Calip set up his study and spent most of his time in the castle’s library restoring the books. Kass was recruited to be the ancient music professor and his family was given a house in Castle Town. The Gerudo professor and her sister also took up residence in the castle to study the shrines.

The Bolson Construction Company built enough houses in Castle Town to house one family from each city in Hyrule as well as several businesses. Nakk and his wife and children were allowed the first pick of the houses and while the finishing touches were being put on the new town Link began teaching Nebb the basics of swordplay. Mubs moved to Castle Town and she and Kanna decided to live together. They were married by one of the Zora who had moved to Castle Town. The father of the family was a priest, interested in studying the history of the Goddess’s religion.

Zelda managed to uncover the castle’s hidden treasury and reimbursed everyone for everything they provided for the castle and Castle Town, to everyone’s delight.

The Gorons gifted the castle and Castle Town with two new Goddess Statues, and once all the renovations and new buildings were complete, Link set about preparing to return to Hateno Village.


	65. Homeward Bound

Link’s goodbyes were quick. Once he’d said goodbye to Kanna and Garini, he bid goodbye to Kass and his family, as well as Nebb and his. Koyin would travel back to Hateno with him; she was anxious to return to her sheep. The leader of Hateno would have to choose someone else to be the permanent ambassador.  
Zelda met them at the new entrance to Castle Town before they left. Koyin hugged her goodbye before leading her horse a few paces away to give the princess and her hero some privacy.  
“This is it then,” Zelda said, her hands behind her back.  
Link nodded. He hadn’t had much to say to anyone recently.  
“I told you once I couldn’t lead Hyrule without you. I would like to thank you for not only telling me I was wrong, but also proving it. I’m deeply sorry for all the mistakes I made when it came to us. I hope you can forgive me in time.”  
“Thank you, Zelda,” Link said softly. “I’m sorry it came to this.”  
Zelda nodded, tears in her eyes.  
He held his arms open for a hug and all of a sudden she was in his arms.  
She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him so tightly he could barely breathe. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close, breathing her in. He hadn’t held her in so long he’d almost forgotten what it was like.  
As they broke apart, Link found himself questioning his decision to leave her. They’d been so close for so long. Even before he’d wanted to marry her he’d wanted to stay her knight.  
As he and Koyin rode away, Grace following closely, he decided some things weren’t meant to be.

When Koyin and Link arrived at Hateno, there was no one to meet them. This time it was just like any other day. They said their goodbyes at the road that led to Link’s house, and Link dismounted so he could lead his horse by the reigns over the narrow bridge. Grace sniffed everything excitedly.  
He led his horse to its stable and removed its saddle and bridle, hanging them up on the railing between the two stalls. Grace explored the yard while he rubbed down his horse, and when he was done she followed him into the big, empty house.  
Link looked around the building and his memories of how his parents had had the house overlaid what was actually there. He let himself grieve them for a moment before getting to work.  
He took down all of the weapons, carefully wrapping them in protective cloth before storing them away. Taking down the weapon mounts was more difficult, but he managed it in the end. After looking at the blank walls for a while he decided to commission the man who ran the dye shop to color them for him. Any color but blue, green, or yellow.  
Once he’d finished his tasks downstairs, he sat down to have supper. Grace got a hefty chunk of gourmet meat for her meal.  
Link cleaned up their dinners and headed upstairs, where the first thing he saw was the picture Purah had taken of the Champions and Zelda after their initiation ceremony. He looked at it for a while, but in the end he didn’t have the heart to take it down.  
Instead he slipped his Champion’s tunic off over his head and folded it carefully. He tucked it away into the back of one of his dresser drawers and pulled out the Hylian tunic instead. Its material wasn’t as soft, but it fit him just as well.  
That night he fell asleep trying to decide what his new profession should be.


	66. The Hero's Disappearance

Link quickly settled into a new routine. He woke up at 5 am, ran from his house to the Ancient Tech Lab and back, had a light breakfast, spent the morning drilling with the master sword, had lunch, spent the afternoon working with Grace on learning tricks, had dinner, and then ran to the Ancient Tech Lab and back again, this time with Grace.

It only took Link two weeks before he was dying of boredom.

 

Later, Zelda would get a report that the last person who saw Link watched him walk out of town towards Faron and disappear into the mountains, Grace at his side and the master sword on his back. She would be told his house was locked up and no one had a key, but it was paid for and full of his things from what the town could see through the window so they left it alone. She would be told he was wearing a Hylian hood, tunic, and pants.


	67. The Queen's Restlessness - Two Years Later

Zelda was overseeing the reconstruction of the Royal Ancient Lab. It hadn’t taken long for the university to burst at the castle’s seams, so she wanted a dedicated place for the ancient tech researchers to be able to work. The regular academic pursuits would stay in the castle for now. The ancient research was mostly being exiled because Purah blew up one of the new wings of the castle, which was also under repair.

“How’s it going, Axyl?” she asked the young Goron.

He turned to glance at her. He’d recently gone through his growth spurt and was now the size of a full-grown Goron. He was also the one Bludo had chosen to be Assistant Boss, and was in the area to check on the Gorons building the new lab. Because the Gorons were in such large demand, he was often sent on such tasks.

“Excellently, Your Majesty,” Axyl rumbled, swinging his hammer over his shoulder. “We should be done within the month.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Zelda replied.

She stayed a while longer to make sure they were creating the correct floor plan, but finally she decided to leave the Gorons to their work.

As she returned to her steed, she felt a wave of nostalgia at the sight of the young knight she’d assigned to be one of her personal guards. He was nothing like Link, but the sight of him still made her miss her friend.

When she’d gotten the report Link had left Hateno, she’d broken down on the floor of her bedroom and sobbed. In the back of her heart she’d always hoped they’d be together someday, but obviously that was not to be. She missed his quick wit and general knowledge, as well as his steady hand both literally and figuratively. She missed exchanging glances with him and their inside jokes. Mostly she just missed her best friend.

With a sigh, she mounted her horse and turned it towards the castle.

 

The next day when she met with Impa to discuss affairs, the old woman handed her a list of names. When she asked the woman what the names were for, Impa told her it was about time she get married and it was a list of all the eligible bachelors in Hyrule.

“No,” Zelda said, shoving the paper back across the table. “I refuse to meet any of these men.”

“Zelda, be reasonable,” Impa said, taking the paper. “You’re not getting any younger, and the royal family needs an heir. You can’t keep hoping Link will return and decide he wants to be with you.”

Infuriated, Zelda stood and left the room.

 

She went to her father’s study, shutting the secret door behind her, and sat at his desk. This was the one room that remained mostly untouched by the renovations; the only things she’d removed were the things that had decayed over the hundred years. She’d even replaced his diary where it had sat, waiting for her to read it.

“What should I do, Father?” she asked aloud, laying her hand on the last thing he’d written. “I don’t think anyone else would be good for me. Now that I’ve ruled for two years, I’m confident in my ability to do so with little help. I don’t want some pompous young man who just wants to be a prince. I want someone who loves me, someone I can truly love in return. I want Link.”

She stayed there, thinking, before sighing heavily and leaving the book where it lay to go apologize to Impa.

 

Zelda decided to give herself busy work. She hadn’t visited Lurelin at all in the two years of her rule, so she made a plan to survey the road leading to the village. She remembered it as being mostly degraded, so she wanted to make it her next priority after constructing the Royal Ancient Lab and repairing the exploded wing of the castle.

She put together an escort of four soldiers and decided to take the Sheikah slate with her. For the first time in ages, she donned her traveling clothes and packed her extra set. The castle chef prepared preserved meats for them to take on their journey and equipped them with enough fruits and vegetables to get them through until they could forage their own. She ordered her horse readied and set off within the day.


	68. A Reunion

They didn’t encounter an issue and Zelda was able to gather plenty of data on the repairs necessary until they were ambushed not far from the Spring of Courage. Afterwards, Zelda was surprised they’d been targeted; no one had known she was leaving until she’d made the decision. She decided eventually the monsters had just gotten lucky.

The monsters that attacked them were electric lizalfos, and her men were not equipped to deal with them; they were shocked and killed very easily, leaving Zelda to fend for herself with the dagger she always wore, the one forged from a shard of the master sword. There were three monsters staring Zelda down, their tongues lolling out creepily, their eyes flicking around like they were looking at everything at once. She felt a chill of fear run down her spine, but didn’t let it affect her stance. If she was going to survive this, she needed to focus.

Out of nowhere, one of the lizalfos convulsed and collapsed, disintegrating before her eyes. Its companions barely noticed; apparently she looked more tasty than their companion looked dead.

The next moment, a second one was down, and this time Zelda saw the direction the arrow had come from, but not who shot it.

In the span of a few seconds, she was one-on-one with the last lizalfos, and a fire unfamiliar to her filled her veins. As she attacked, she imagined this must be what Link felt like when he was fighting.

Everything slowed down, but it wasn’t time slowing down, it was simply the adrenaline rushing through her body. She saw the lizalfos charge before she felt it; as quick as she’d attacked she had lightning coursing through her blood.

Through the pain she saw someone leap from a tree in the direction the arrows had come from and land between her and the lizalfos. When the lightning had finished coursing through her she collapsed to the ground, her dagger flying from her hand, and watched with blurred vision as the person who’d arrived fought the lizalfos, somehow unaffected by lightning as well as the quickness of its attacks. This person moved like they commanded time.

Before Zelda could think about who her savior could possibly be, her vision went black.

 

She woke up in a cave, covered in a soft cloth that she soon realized was a Hylian hood. It wasn’t enough to cover her, but she was touched by the effort. Sitting up and propping herself up with her elbows, she looked around. A figure was sitting by a lit cooking pot, crouched on their feet and stirring whatever was within.

The smell wafted towards her and her growling stomach made the figure look towards her.

“Here,” they said, ladling whatever food was in the pot into a bowl for her. “Don’t worry about the castle; I’ve sent a runner telling them you were delayed but are okay.”

As Zelda sat up completely and took the food, she felt even more grateful to this stranger. Not everyone would have thought of alerting the castle she was alright. She ate her food and tried to discern the face of the person who’d saved her, but it was obscured by the dim lighting, a beard, and long hair.

“Where are we?” she asked once she’d eaten enough to settle her stomach.

“In the Faron region, not far from the Spring of Courage or where I found you,” the figure replied. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

Even though Zelda had no idea who this person was, she still felt reassured. She finished her meal slowly, relishing every bite, and when she was done she wondered why she was so famished.

“You’ve been asleep for two days,” the figure answered her unasked question. “Not everyone can get shocked by an electric lizalfos and get up and walk away. Few can even survive.”

Zelda thought of her escort and allowed herself several moments to mourn them. Their families would require a funeral and reparations, of course. They were so young.

“What would you like to do?” the figure asked. “I can escort you to Lurelin, you can go on to Lurelin on your own, or you can return to the castle of course.”

“Before I decide that,” Zelda said, setting her bowl aside, “I’d like to thank the person who rescued me. How can I do that?”

Her rescuer shook their head, turning away from her to look into the fire.

“There’s no need to thank me. I was simply doing my duty.”

This made Zelda stop for a moment and look at the figure more closely. The body shape, while a bit more built than it had been two years ago, was correct. His hair was the correct color but the beard had thrown it off. It was a short beard, so she could tell what the shape of his face was, and her heart lept.

“Could it be?” she gasped. “Link?”

The young hero nodded and moved so that she could see his face.

Dreamlike, Zelda let the Hylian hood fall from her lap as she moved to sit next to him. She reached up to touch his face and as she laid her hand on the rough hair of his cheek he leaned into it, just like he always had when she’d touched him like this.

“What on earth have you been doing out here?” Zelda asked softly. “You’ve been gone for two years.”

“I know,” he said. “I’ve been keeping track. I’ve been spending my time making sure the monsters in this region are all dead. The group that attacked you was the last of its kind. I’m sorry about your escort.”

“Thank you,” she said, letting her hand drop to her lap. “Where’s Grace?”

“She died protecting me from a lizalfos,” he said sadly.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I’ve also been doing a lot of praying at the Spring of Courage. I hadn’t heard Goddess Hylia speak to me since before we defeated Ganon and I wanted to hear her voice again. So I left the hustle and bustle of town and came out here. I was hoping she’d give me direction as to my new purpose.”

“Has she?”

Link shrugged.

“She seemed to approve of my mission to rid this area of the last monsters. Beyond that, she told me everything that happens to me is my choice. I’ve fulfilled my duty and can live my life as I please.”

“How would you please?” Zelda asked, her mouth dry.

“I think I’d like to come work for you again. Be your knight.”

Tears sprung to Zelda’s eyes.

“I would love that.”

 

Link helped her finish her survey of the road to Lurelin and after spending the night in town they returned to Hyrule Castle. Zelda spent the next week planning a fitting funeral for the men who had died for her, and Link helped her give the eulogy.

He returned to his post as her personal knight and she was relieved to have him at her side again. He had resumed his quiet ways, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been before the Calamity. He simply didn’t have much to say.

Zelda couldn’t help but stay desperately in love with Link, much to Impa’s dismay. He hadn’t shown any sign of wanting to resume their romantic relationship; he just wanted to keep her safe. She didn’t push him, nor did she consult him on affairs of state. She wanted to prove to him that her love for him had nothing to do with how he could support her rule.


	69. The Hero's Pilgrimage

Link spent the next several months at Zelda’s side. In the evening, when he was off duty, he spent his time at the Goddess Statue the Gorons had gifted to the castle. He was still searching for his purpose, and the more he prayed the closer he felt.

About five months after the funeral for Zelda’s escort, Link asked for an official audience with Zelda. He wanted some leave, but he wanted to ask in the proper manner. She granted him his audience and he knelt before her throne.

“My Queen,” he said, looking at the ground. “I would like to request a week’s leave. I want to visit the Temple of Time and spend some time praying at the Goddess Statue there.”

Zelda granted him his request, and he set off that same day.

He arrived at the entrance to the Great Plateau that evening. Zelda had had the steps cleared of mud so anyone could visit as they pleased. Restoring the Temple of Time was on her list of things needing done, but her list was so long she was nowhere near close to completing it.

Link climbed the stairs and couldn’t help but remember his and Zelda’s journey up these same stairs years ago. How they’d had their first kiss in the pond next to the shrine at the top of the stairs. How he’d been so surprised at her forwardness and so upset by his own he’d pushed her away.

With an angry shake of his head, Link pushed these memories away. He was young and stupid then. He had no idea what love was supposed to be like, let alone with a princess. Sometimes he wondered if he were still young and stupid.

The stars watched over his pilgrimage as he made his way to the temple. Some devout Hyrulians had taken it upon themselves to rebuild the Eastern Abbey and had started a coed religious settlement. Women lived on one side, men on the other, and the common areas were in the middle. He thought he might run into someone on his way to the temple, but in the distance the only light from the abbey was the light from the shrine. The Great Plateau slept around him, and he was comforted.

He climbed the stairs much the same way he had when he’d first awoken from his slumber. When he had no idea who he was or what his true purpose was. When he’d been unencumbered by the world’s problems. When he’d been unencumbered by his own.

When he reached the top, the Goddess Statue was glowing faintly, as if it had been waiting for him. He made his way eagerly, excited to hear the voice of the Goddess again. Excited to pray. He’d spent the better part of two years praying, and he truly enjoyed it. It brought him peace that fighting never could. Fighting brought him satisfaction; praying brought him peace. He’d discovered he needed the balance.

He took the last few stairs up to the Goddess Statue in twos, almost skipping them entirely in his haste. He dropped his pack and stared up at the statue. Link knew now it was not an accurate depiction of the Goddess, but it was an excellent symbol.

Now, standing before the glowing statue, Link felt compelled not to kneel in prayer as he usually did, but to actually touch the statue. He edged his way in between the smaller statues at its base, and reached his hand out towards the stone. It was glowing in much the same way Zelda’s power did.

As his hand met the stone, his eyes closed. When he opened them he was in a different place.

The ground was made of clouds; the sky around him was white. In the distance he could make out shapes high in the sky. He looked down and he was no longer wearing the Hylian tunic, but his Champion tunic.

He made his way towards the shapes and they slowly morphed into what looked like an island city, separate islands connected by bridges and surrounded by flying creatures. The place was familiar to him, but different.

“Hello, Link,” a voice from behind him said.

He turned to see the Goddess Hylia. Or her human reincarnation, at least.

“Hello,” he said.

“Thank you for coming,” she said. “I wanted to show you something.”

He followed her as she led him towards the islands in the sky. As they drew nearer, the shapes flying around the island became clear.

“Are those Hylians riding Rito?”

“No,” Hylia replied with a slight chuckle. “The birds are called Loftwings. They were the companions of my people when I walked the earth.”

Link was in awe. He’d ridden on Teba’s back, but he had a feeling it would be completely different riding such a creature.

Hylia whistled and a purple Loftwing broke away from the group without riders and landed lightly in front of them. It leaned its head down and Hylia patted its head fondly.

“You try,” she said.

He whistled much like she had, and to his surprise a red Loftwing, the only one he could see, flew down to greet him.

“This was the Loftwing ridden by my hero,” Hylia explained. “He will let you ride him.”

Hylia showed him how to mount the creature, and once he was in the saddle his instincts kicked in. Link cried something he’d never said before, “Hyah!” and the Loftwing spread its wings and took off.

The Goddess was close behind on her own Loftwing, but Link decided to put the bird through its paces and led it through several complex maneuvers. The experience was exhilarating.

When Link was finally satiated, Hylia waved for him to follow her and together they flew away from the island city.

“Where are we going?” Link called after they’d flown quite a distance.

“You’ll see!”

When they finally arrived at their destination, he did.

Hylia had brought him to Zelda’s mother’s funeral.

She led him through every aspect of his Zelda’s life. He remembered her father pushing her to visit all of the Goddess Statues. He watched as Urbosa pulled her small, unconscious form from the waters of the Spring of Courage. He watched as she yelled at him outside of the shrine on the way to Rito Village. He watched as she tried over and over again to fulfill her destiny.

He watched as she finally unsealed her sealing power to save him.

He watched as she cried over him, and as she sent him to the Shrine of Resurrection. He watched as she went to face Ganon alone.

He watched as they began their journey together, 100 years later. As, once again, expectations were placed on her that were probably unreasonable. As she fought her desire to marry out of duty and her desire for him. As slowly, the two became the same thing. He accidentally morphed into the symbol of her success, as opposed to her failure.

He watched as they yelled at each other in the mountains.

He watched himself leave her at the entrance to Castle Town.

He watched as Zelda came into her own as the ruler of Hyrule, becoming the best leader Hyrule had seen in centuries. She was kind and fair to her people, just to those who did wrong, and dedicated to bettering the society she was in charge of.

He watched as she missed him, but did her best to prove to herself, the world, and maybe even him she could lead effectively alone. That she didn’t need him; she wanted him. Truly.

By the time the images faded away, Link realized he was in tears.

 

He woke up in a heap at the base of the Goddess Statue, tears streaming down his cheeks. A young Zora child was standing near him, apparently watching over him. Slowly, he sat up.

“How long was I asleep?” he asked.

“Five days,” the child replied. “We can only guess the Goddess sustained you.”

Link thanked the child for watching over him, devoured every piece of food he’d brought with him, and set out to return to Hyrule Castle, and his Zelda.

At least, he hoped she would still be his.


	70. Begin Again

Zelda was standing on the bridge between her room and her study, looking out over the castle grounds. The Royal Ancient Lab had been completed and all ancient research moved, to the delight of every other department of the university. Things were much quieter now.

She heard footsteps coming from the doorway leading to her room and turned to see who was approaching her. She was surprised to see Link.

“You’re back early!” she said, resisting the urge to rush towards him.

“I am.”

“How was your time in prayer?”

“Fruitful,” he said.

As she watched, he dropped his pack on the ground and approached her. Once he was standing in front of her, he knelt and reached for her hand, which she gave him.

“Queen Zelda,” he said hoarsely. “I forgot everything you went through as you grew up. I forgot how that may have led to what happened between us years ago. But when I went to the Temple of Time, the Goddess Hylia helped me remember. She also showed me how you’ve been proving to be the best leader in Hyrulian history. I’m so proud of you.

“I’m also completely and desperately in love with you. Please accept my love and do me the extreme honor of allowing me to court you.”

Zelda was speechless. This was everything she’d been dreaming of for two years.

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Yes, of course I’ll court you.”

He stood and gathered her up in a hug.


	71. Epilogue

Queen Zelda and Link Hateno courted for two months before becoming engaged with the blessing of Lady Impa, who performed the wedding for them. Unbeknownst to them, the spirits of King Rhoam, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, and Daruk attended the wedding as well, happy to see them happy.

During their honeymoon in Lurelin, Link and Zelda decided to build a second home in the town so they would have a more private place to stay whenever they visited. They commissioned the townspeople to do this in their spare time and at their own pace, and paid half the total cost upfront. 

The queen and prince of Hyrule spent the rest of their days pampering each other, raising their four children, and leading the kingdom they both loved dearly. Link also bred a line of royal Hylian retrievers in memory of Grace.

Kanna and Mubs started a school in Castle Town, and Zelda authorized them to go to each major civilization and choose someone to start the local school. Garini ended up falling in love with and marrying the Gerudo professor who was interested in shrines. Koyin ended up marrying one of the men from Hateno and settling down to raise children and her sheep.

Finally, after years of toil and struggle, the princess and her hero were finally able to live in peace, no longer under the threat of an imminent return of Ganon. They could raise their children to be happy and healthy, able to defend themselves when necessary but more prone to use words to solve their disagreements. 

Under Zelda’s eye, the technology of Hyrule grew to be so great, everyone had a Sheikah slate. The Ancient Tech Labs could also create the ancient material as opposed to simply harvesting it. The labs in Hateno and Akkala became satellite labs for even more research. By the time Link and Zelda’s children began having children of their own, the research had advanced to the point Hylians could explore the skies higher than any Rito had ever been able to before.

What they found there is a story for another time.


End file.
